Sir Prancealot well represented to cut another ribbon at the weekend

Saturday night’s Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar presents another sizeable opportunity to Sir Prancealot, the European stallion who has become something of a surprise hit in the United States.

Known in Britain for a one-season campaign with the Richard Hannon stable which concluded by clinching the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster, he spent his first five seasons at Tally Ho in Ireland and has produced eight individual stakes winners worldwide. One came earlier this week at Naas when juvenile Miss Amulet, from his final Tally Ho crop, beat hot favourite Frenetic in the Listed Marwell Stakes.

Sir Prancealot moved to Cornerstone Stud near Adelaide in South Australia in 2017, before a few of his European exports began a quiet revolution in America.

It started two years ago with a couple of turf mares who spent far more time on the track than he ever did. Beau Recall, who is the defending champion in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon, picked up the Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita, while Madam Dancealot, who took the Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury for Joe Tuite, broke through in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap.

His progeny make up three of the eight-runner field for the extended mile Grade 2 handicap. Brad Cox reports Beau Recall to be in decent form while she is up against Lady Prancealot, who gave her sire his first top-level score in the American Oaks at Santa Anita in late December. The consistent Tonahutu completes the trio for Doug O’Neill.

Further up the Californian coast from Del Mar, any further developments will be greeted eagerly. Sir Prancealot has just finished his first season shuttling at Tom and Nancy Clark’s Rancho San Miguel after a deal was made with Checkmate Thoroughbreds and Cornerstone. He is scheduled to return there in 2021.

"I know it’s August and a little way from the breeding season but to keep him in the breeders’ minds, it would be great to have some luck there," said Rancho San Miguel general manager Dennis Yokum.

Smart turf mare Beau Recall is Sir Prancealot's leading money-earnerCredit: Benoit Photo

"Our breeding season starts in February, like in Europe, and on opening day at Santa Anita last December he had a Grade 1 winner, so that kind of promotion certainly helps you, it gives you something to talk about that first month you’re booking mares. We couldn’t have drawn it up any better than that."

Breeders did take notice and Yokum added that the ten-year-old was a model professional.

"He was a really good boy and was well received here," he reported. "He bred 105 mares and at the last check we had 96 of them in foal, so he was doing a good job.

"He’s got a nice disposition, he’s good to be around and he carries himself well. He acts like a class horse as well, he ate and drank all the way when he shipped here and arrived in tip-top shape. He’s travelled the globe - been more places than I have."

Sir Prancealot, at $15,000, is by some way the most expensive stallion on the roster at Rancho San Miguel, which has been developed by the Clark family since the turn of the century and sits not far from the timeless holidaymakers' road through Big Sur and Morro Bay.

"We’ve got some nice horses," said Yokum. "We’ve got a young stallion called Danzing Candy, his oldest crop will be runners next year, he’s been well received and he has a good looking group of yearlings. Curlin To Mischief too, he’s a son of Curlin and Leslie’s Lady, who is the dam of Into Mischief, Beholder and Mendelssohn."

With favourites in Britain including Sir Dancealot and Sir Busker, plus his first southern hemisphere progeny preparing to run, the farm is looking forward to welcoming back its knight in shining armour.

"He’s had quite a bit of success with the small group of horses that have come over here, and we’ll be excited to see him again," said Yokum.

"We just need somebody to win a Grade 1 on opening day again. We’re spoiled now, we think this is just something that happens!"

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