Land Force toughs it out to give No Nay Never a first Group winner

The well-bred Land Force provided his freshman sire No Nay Never with his first Group winner, taking the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood with a tough performance.

Land Force was already successful at Listed level, winning the Coolmore Pride Of Dubai Stakes over five furlongs at Tipperary a month ago. Prior to that, Land Force was third behind Shang Shang Shang in the Norfolk Stakes, a race won by his sire, at Royal Ascot.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners, Land Force was making the sixth start of his career at Goodwood this afternoon having made his debut over five furlongs at Naas in April. Stepping up to the Richmond Stakes’ trip of six furlongs, Land Force broke his maiden on heavy ground at Naas in May and was third to the Kodiac filly Fairyland in the six furlong Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh.

Race result, replay and analysis

Bred by Mrs Evie Stockwell, Land Force is the second Group winner out of her Rock Of Gibraltar mare Theann, who won the Group 3 Summer Stakes at York in Mrs Stockwell’s colours. Land Force is a half-brother to Photo Call, a dual Grade 1 winning daughter of Galileo.

Theann herself is a daughter of the brilliant Cassandra Go who won the then Group 2 King’s Stand Stakes and was second in the Group 1 July Cup. By Indian Ridge, Cassandra Go is a half-sister to the Classic-placed sire Verglas and has excelled at stud.

Her progeny is headed by the Pivotal mare Halfway To Heaven, who won the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Nassau Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes during her three-year-old season. At stud Halfway To Heaven is the dam of Group 1 winner Rhododendron by Galileo and her full-sister Happily, successful in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes last season and the Group 2 Kilboy Estates Stakes at the Curragh last month.

Theann has a yearling filly by Australia and returned to No Nay Never in 2017.

Land Force is one of two stakes winners and 16 individual winners from the first crop of No Nay Never, who stands at Coolmore Stud in Tipperary where his 2018 fee was €25,000. He is standing the southern hemisphere breeding season at the organisation’s Australian base, where he commands a fee of A$19,250.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the son of the brilliant sire Scat Daddy won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes and the Group 1 Prix Morny at two and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on his final start.

If you are interested in this, you should read:

The story of Scat Daddy, source of Justify and Royal Ascot sire extraordinaire