Olive Grove to become eighth daughter of Islington to face the starter

With an illustrious pedigree and enviable race record, Islington was always going to take pride of place among the Ballymacoll Stud broodmare band, and has set herself apart in the bloodstock world as her first 11 foals were all fillies.

Her ninth daughter, Olive Grace, is set to become her eighth runner when she makes her debut in the for unraced three-year-olds at Lyon Parilly on Thursday (4.05 local time/3.05 BST).

Trained by Henri-Alex Pantall, Olive Grace will race in the royal blue of Godolphin having been a 550,000gns yearling purchase for Rabbah Bloodstock from the Ballymacoll dispersal at Tattersalls in 2017.

Islington, seven of whose daughters are winners, was also auctioned off by Ballymacoll in the same sales ring that December, when purchased for 270,000gns by Blandford Bloodstock.

The mare has produced three fillies by Dansili including Bohemian Dance, who won a four-runner Ffos Las maiden by five lengths in September 2013 when sent off the 1-25 odds-on favourite.

Her three daughters by Oasis Dream include Angel Vision, a two-time winner who, like Bohemian Dance, was tested in stakes company.

Islington was successful four times at the highest level and won the Yorkshire Oaks twice, joining her own dam Hellenic on the roll of honour. Four of Islington's siblings were black-type performers including the elite winners and sires Greek Dance and Mountain High.

Islington also has a two-year-old Oasis Dream filly named Ocean Pearl sold to Cheveley Park Stud for 275,000gns as a foal, and a Kingman yearling colt bred by Newstead Breeding. She was covered by Zoffany last year.

Olive Grove is one of a trio of Sea The Stars fillies in the 18-runner field together with Chrysocolla, a half-sister to Ocovango raced by Ballylinch Stud, and Lamu, a daughter of the Rock Of Gibraltar mare Louve Rare.

The Andre Fabre-trained Chrysocolla a 340,000gns yearling purchase for Meridian International at Tattersalls Book 1, while Lamu is saddled by Henri-Francois Devin.

Rabbah Bloodstock are also the breeder of King And Queen, a Le Havre colt out of Queen's Logic, who begins a three-generational sequence of Lowther Stakes winners through her daughter Lady Of The Desert and granddaughter Queen Kindly, all of whom raced in the colours of Jaber Abdullah.

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