Sea The Stars colt Zelzal invigorates dormant Joel clan

Buyers flocked to the Tattersalls December Sale of 1986 in anticipation of one of the most important dispersals of that era. Jim Joel, then 92, had no children to succeed him, and with that, wound up his bloodstock interests that were the result of 80 years of breeding by himself and his father Jack at Childwick Bury Stud.

When all was done and dusted, 20 horses, primarily from Joel’s hugely successful Picture Play family, had realised a total of 3,937,200gns. As widely expected, star billing went to the 1981 1,000 Guineas winner Fairy Footsteps, who was bought for 720,000gns to join Heronwood Farm in America, while Sheikh Hamdan paid 700,000gns for her Listed-placed three-year-old half-sister Magic Slipper.

The family belonging to Picture Play, Joel’s 1944 1,000 Guineas winner, had provided the owner with many great moments, notably as the source of Classic winners Royal Palace (1967 2,000 Guineas and Derby), Fairy Footsteps and her half-brother Light Cavalry (1980 St Leger). It was a family that struck in elite company with great consistency and it stood to reason that the line would continue in a similar vein for those who bought into it.