Clive Cox newcomer ready to fire at Leicester as sister to Latrobe also debuts

Clive Cox unleashes his first two-year-old of the season on behalf of the China Horse Club tomorrow at Leicester (2.00).

The colt in question, €120,000 purchase Red Armada, is an Invincible Spirit three-parts brother to Listed winner Dux Scholar (by Oasis Dream) and out of Khalid Abdullah’s 2005 Cheshire Oaks heroine Alumni. Juddmonte Farms sold Alumni, a Selkirk granddaughter of champion Cairn Rouge, for 75,000gns to Emerald Bloodstock at Tattersalls in December 2014. Hence, Red Armada was bred by Castle Paddock Bloodstock Ltd.

Red Armada is one of three newcomers in the 7f race that also features Godolphin’s Madkhal, a Distorted Humor grandson of Grade 1 winner Alwajeeha, and Massam, a Dubawi son of the 2011 Sirenia Stakes winner Shumoos who has been placed on both his starts.

Over at the Curragh, Aidan O’Brien relies on newcomer Pink Dogwood in the Loder Irish EBF Fillies Race (3.00), a race won in 2016 by Hydrangea.

Bought for €380,000 by MV Magnier, Mayfair and Peter and Ross Doyle as a yearling, the daughter of Camelot is arguably the most interesting debutante of the day as a sister to Irish Derby hero Latrobe. They are out of the Listed-placed Question Times, also the dam of last year’s Gladness Stakes winner Diamond Fields.

Joseph O'Brien and Donnacha after winning the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with Latrobe.The Curragh.Photo: Patrick McCann 30.06.2018.Credit: Patrick McCann

Pink Dogwood is evidently held in some regard at Ballydoyle but she will have to be very smart to overcome the winning pair of Dragon Roll and Fulminate, Juddmonte’s daughter of their Yorkshire Oaks heroine Quiff, if she is to make a winning debut.

Overall, it promises to be a high-profile international weekend for Camelot, who is also represented on Saturday night at Arlington Park by Athena in the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes and by Hunting Horn and Lucius Tiberius in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes.

However, the American action does not stop there for the Coolmore stallion since he is also responsible for a well-connected first time starter, the Irish-bred Aunt Hattie, in Sunday's two-year-old turf fillies’ maiden at Saratoga.

James Crupi and Marco Bozzi paid €120,000 on behalf of St Elias Stable for Aunt Hattie, a daughter of Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner Spring Star, at last year’s Arqana August Sale. Bill Mott trains.

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