Continuous success maintained for the late Heart's Cry in the St Leger

The stallion career of Heart's Cry, one of the greats of Japanese racing, was embellished by a British Classic win when Continuous pulled away in the Betfred St Leger on Saturday.

Ryan Moore acknowledged the unusual breeding of his mount as soon as he had secured his third winner in Doncaster's main event. 

The jockey had not quite reached pre-eminence when Heart's Cry was around on the track, although he knows his offspring and won the Grade 1 Futurity Stakes on his son Salios. There have been very few of Heart's Cry's progeny imported to Europe but he has managed success all around the world, including in the Cox Plate with Lys Gracieux, the Dubai Duty Free with the top-class Just A Way, and Japan Cups from Cheval Grand and Suave Richard.

Heart's Cry, like Deep Impact, was by Sunday Silence and landed the Sheema Classic and the Arima Kinen under Christophe Lemaire before finishing a length third behind Hurricane Run in the 2006 King George. He was retired from Shadai Stallion Station two years ago and died in March at the age of 22.

Watch the St Leger replay here

"Heart's Cry was a top stallion in Japan," Moore told ITV Racing. "I think he was the only horse who beat Deep Impact in Japan, so he’s very rare."

Coolmore and associates, in Continuous's case being Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt, have accessed Japanese stallions as outcrosses for Galileo mares in recent years. Fluff, a maiden winner by that elite sire, had been bred to Deep Impact to produce her two previous foals, National Ballet and Navajo Warrior.

Fluff is also a full-sister to European champion two-year-old filly Maybe, later the dam of Japanese-bred Classic hero and sire Saxon Warrior. Their dam, Sumora, is a sibling of Oaks winner Dancing Rain from the family of a Derby winner in Doctor Devious. After her time in the Far East, Fluff returned to Europe in 2020 and has produced a two-year-old filly by Lord Kanaloa named Angelica Tree. She then has a Wootton Bassett yearling colt and filly foal, and visited No Nay Never for her most recent cover.

Iberian and Tom Marquand win the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster Credit: Edward Whitaker

Barry Hills was often the trainer to beat in the Betfred Champagne Stakes and a first winner of the Group 2 for his son Charlie came with the family’s fingerprints all over him.

Following the five victories for Hills snr, from Sexton Blake through Sure Blade, Auction House, Distant Music and Etlaala, the Lope De Vega colt Iberian looked to have a bright future in building upon his second place in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

Hills and Johnny McKeever signed for Iberian at 200,00gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and the colt runs in a partnership between Teme Valley and his breeder, Ballylinch Stud.

While Dermot Weld trained his dam, Bella Estrella, to win the Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes at Killarney, Barry Hills prepared her full-sister High Heeled to finish third in Sariska’s Oaks under son Michael and later win the St Simon at Newbury.

Another of Bella Estrella’s siblings, Faraday Light, produced not only Charlie Hills’ Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Just The Judge but two other good winners for the stable in Amber Silk and Allayaali.

It might not be much of a price that Hills attempts to get hold of Iberian’s full-brother, who is entered as lot 260 for this year’s Book 1, although there is now likely to be plenty more competition for him.

The other notable bit of breeding news on Saturday came at Chantilly, where Ballyhane Stud's promising first-season sire Soldier's Call collected his first black-type win, among 23 individual winners, in the Group 3 Prix Eclipse. 

Dawn Charger, bought by trainer Karl Burke and his daughter Kelly for €40,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, was bred by Jim Bolger and is a half-sister to Serious Challenge, who has been keeping good company for that trainer this season.

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