Shades of Sky Lantern as daughter Snow Lantern showcases Classic credentials

The superbly bred Snow Lantern, a daughter of Frankel and the brilliant Sky Lantern, moved a step closer to emulating her illustrious dam when claiming the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Maiden Stakes at Newbury on Sunday.

Bred and owned by Simon and Ben Keswick of Rockcliffe Stud, Snow Lantern is the third foal out of the owners' four-time Group 1 winner, whose record includes victories in the 1,000 Guineas, Coronation and Sun Chariot Stakes during a sensational three-year-old campaign.

Evidently not as precocious as her dam, who was initially trained by Richard Hannon snr and won the Moyglare Stud Stakes as a juvenile, Snow Lantern ran just once at two but showed she has improved plenty as she saw off Derab, a Sea The Stars half-brother to none other than Enable, to score by a length and three-quarters.

Sky Lantern after victory in the 1,000 GuineasCredit: Edward Whitaker

That smooth success under Sean Levey earned Snow Lantern quotes of around 8-1 to follow in Sky Lantern's footsteps and claim the 1,000 Guineas in two weeks' time.

Snow Lantern is the third winner from as many runners bred by Sky Lantern, who is also responsible for Gentile Bellini, a son of Dubawi who cost the Coolmore partners a cool 2,000,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2017, while his year-younger brother Noonday Gun scored in the Rockcliffe silks having been retained at 625,000gns.

Sky Lantern also has a two-year-old colt by Galileo named First Emperor and a yearling son of Kingman, who she was covered by again in 2020.

The 11-year-old Sky Lantern, a Red Clubs half-sister to Round Tower Stakes scorer Arctic and Queen's Vase winner Shanty Star, was bred by Tally-Ho Stud and purchased for her owners by bloodstock agent Ed Sackville at the 2011 Goffs Orby Sale, where she fetched €75,000.

Shades of Sky Lantern as her daughter Snow Lantern scores at NewburyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Snow Lantern is one of two fillies by Frankel entered in the 1,000 Guineas, along with Showcasing's half-sister Vesela.

There were further Classic clues elsewhere on the Newbury card, with the Richard Hannon-trained Chindit justifying favouritism in the Group 3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes.

The colt, owned by Michael Pescod and sourced by Peter and Ross Doyle at a cost of 65,000gns, was already among Wootton Bassett's 31 stakes performers having won the Group 2 Champagne Stakes during a fruitful two-year-old season, and boasts a pedigree featuring Classic success.

Chindit: one of 31 stakes performers by Wootton BassettCredit: Edward Whitaker

Chindit was bred by Michael Fitzpatrick and Rory Mahon and is the first foal out of Always A Dream, a winning daughter of Oasis Dream who was secured as a broodmare prospect by Alex Elliott at just 16,000gns.

In turn, Always A Dream is out of a closely related sibling of Motivator, joint-champion three-year-old in 2005 after landing the Derby.

Wootton Bassett's Coolmore studmate No Nay Never was responsible for the winner of the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes as Alcohol Free, who was last seen claiming the Cheveley Park Stakes, prevailed by a short head from Statement, a Ballylinch Stud homebred by Lawman.

Bred by Churchtown House Stud and bought by Jeff Smith's Littleton Stud as a foal for €60,000, Alcohol Free is one of 47 stakes performers by No Nay Never, who is standing the current breeding season at a fee of €125,000.

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