'It's the best day of our whole existence to date' – Folsom Blues provides Al Shira’aa a landmark homebred Group 1 breakthrough

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Al Shira’aa Racing manager Kieran Lalor hailed Folsom Blues’s National Stakes success as the “best day of our whole existence to date” after the colt provided the operation with its first homebred Group 1 winner.

The son of Blue Point advertised his Group 1 credentials when second to Aidan O’Brien’s brilliant filly Sun Goddess in the Phoenix Stakes and he delivered on that promise when pulling six lengths clear of his stablemate Monogram, who was sent off 9-4f. 

“It’s absolutely incredible, the best day of our whole existence to date. To have a homebred colt win a Group 1 so impressively is very special,” Lalor told Racing TV.

Al Shira’aa broke its own model and retained Folsom Blues after the Joseph O’Brien-trained colt had been catalogued for the Arqana August Sale, with Lalor admitting the team had “fallen in love” with him. 

He said: “Joseph has done an incredible job, and it’s particularly special because he’s a homebred. As you know, generally our colts go to the yearling sales, but we kind of fell in love with him and we had to come up with a reason to keep him. I’m delighted it’s worked out so well.”

Kieran Lalor: 'To have a homebred colt win a Group 1 so impressively is very special'Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Folsom Blues is out of the late stakes-placed Oasis Dream mare Liwa Palace, making him a half-brother to Killavullan Stakes winner Atlantic Coast and stakes-placed Greek Mythology. Baroda Stud will offer his brother at the Goffs Orby Sale later this month.

“His brother is in the Orby, so we might have to think twice about that!” said Lalor.

He is bred on the same Blue Point-Oasis Dream cross as Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Big Evs and supplied the Darley stallion with his sixth Group 1 winner.  

Owned by Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his daughter, Sheikha Fatima, Al Shira’aa has been steadily building its bloodstock interests since acquiring the farm in 2016, with a focus on buying well-bred yearling fillies and developing them into broodmares.

“We’ve been slowly building up a nice portfolio, mainly of yearling fillies. We’ve bought a few broodmares, but mostly yearling fillies with good pedigrees and good physicals,” said Lalor.

The operation’s colours have been carried to victory by Group 2-winning fillies Ocean Jewel and Vespertillo, who have subsequently joined the broodmare band.

Lalor said: “It’s a small, boutique operation. It’s not going to be a big, big operation, although this might change things a little bit!”

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