Angelic Guineas success a cherished day for the Parkin family

A return to the Curragh for Fallen Angel brought the best out of the Too Darn Hot filly who led virtually from the start for an impressive Irish 1,000 Guineas triumph for her owner-breeders the Parkin family.

From the first crop of the champion two-year-old who went on to win the Sussex Stakes and Prix Jean Prat at three, Fallen Angel provided her sire with a first Group 1 victory when successful in the Moyglare Stud Stakes during Irish Champions Festival. 

Trained by Karl Burke, she was also a first homebred Group 1 winner for the Parkins and the victory was particularly poignant as she is the final of four foals produced by her dam Agnes Stewart, who died of colic.

That connection prompted joyous and emotional scenes in the Curragh winner's enclosure once again on Sunday, where Fabienne Parkin spoke of the family's bond with the filly and her dam, who was trained by Eddie Lynam to win the May Hill Stakes and finish second in the Fillies' Mile.

"It's amazing and I can't really believe it, I feel like I'm on cloud nine," she beamed. "For it to be this filly who is so important to us is perfect, it's amazing. It means so much to us all, it's incredibly special. It's your dream to own and breed a filly like her, it is so special and we will cherish this day for a long time."

Fallen Angel, who was named in honour of her late dam, made her debut exactly a year ago when she won a seven-furlong novice at Haydock and was immediately stepped up to stakes level for the Listed Star Stakes in which she was second to Shuwari.

Fallen Angel ridden by Danny Tudhope winning the Irish 1,000 GuineasCredit: Patrick McCann

She made it two wins from three starts in the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes before her Group 1 breakthrough at the Curragh in September.

Expectations were high for the filly ahead of her seasonal reappearance in the 1,000 Guineas but she could only finish eighth behind Elmalka.

Parkin said: "I was a bit disappointed after Newmarket as I thought she would run better than she did. There were excuses for her run but at the same time, they were excuses and she needed to prove herself again today."

A return to the scene of her best performance and the thundery downpours that softened the going to good to yielding, were both causes for hope that Fallen Angel could show her true colours.

"I was nervous but quietly confident as I know she loves the Curragh, I thought she would love the ground and the stiff finish," Parkin said. "Danny said she pinged the stalls and kept quickening, it was all happening perfectly."

Fallen Angel is a three-parts sister to Feud, a winning son of Dubawi and a half-sister to the Group 3 and Listed-placed filly Divine Jewel, by Frankel, and the winning Dark Angel mare Celestial Queen, who was also trained by Karl Burke.

Fallen Angel returns triumphantCredit: Patrick McCann

She won the Irish 1,000 Guineas by two lengths from Harry Angel filly A Lilac Rolla to give Darley sires a one-two in the race and an Irish Guineas double, as Blue Point's first crop son Rosallion claimed the colts' race on Saturday.

The way in which Fallen Angel won suggested a longer trip would be within her comfort zone and her owner-breeder agreed with that assessment, as the Prix de Diane is one of a handful of races under consideration for her.

"There is stamina in the family and in Too Darn Hot's family, there are stamina elements too," she added.

Those stamina elements spring from the same source - the Aga Khan's Delsy who was foaled in 1972. Group 3 Prix de Pomone third Delsy is the dam of Group 1 winner and hugely influential sire and broodmare sire Darshaan and the Prix Vermeille winner Darara who both feature in Fallen Angel's pedigree.

Darshaan's son Dalakhani is the broodmare sire of Agnes Stewart while Darara is the dam of Too Darn Hot's mother Dar Re Mi, one of four individual Group 1 winners that Darara foaled.

It was the second Guineas winner of the afternoon for Fallen Angel's sire and trainer as Darnation earlier landed the German version at Dusseldorf. Like Fallen Angel, she was running in the colours of her owner-breeders, in this case Maurice Regan's Newtown Anner Stud. 

Darnation, who like Agnes Stewart won the May Hill Stakes, is the first foal out of Monday Monday, a Galileo half-sister to Irish 1,000 Guineas, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks winner Blue Bunting, by Dynaformer.

Parkin smiled: "Two Guineas winners for Karl by Too Darn Hot, it's brilliant."

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