First runner out of dual Group 1 heroine Hydrangea set for Ballydoyle bow at Leopardstown on Sunday

Wingspan

Ballylinch Stud 'Bayside Boy' Fillies Maiden (1.45 Leopardstown, Sunday)

What's the story?

Seven years after Hydrangea won the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial, defeating subsequent Newmarket Guineas heroine Winter, her first runner takes to the track on the Ballylinch Stud-sponsored card at Leopardstown on Sunday, representing the Coolmore partners and Westerberg in the 7f maiden for three-year-old fillies.

How is she bred?

Wingspan is the second foal out of Hydrangea, who would go on to Group 1 glory in the Matron Stakes and the British Champions Fillies & Mares later in the season following her Leopardstown success. The daughter of Galileo was second to stablemate Rhododendron in the Fillies' Mile, Prix de l'Opera and Debutante Stakes and third to Winter in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes. Hydrangea was also second in the Moyglare Stud Stakes behind Intricately.

Her younger sister, Hermosa, did the Newmarket-Curragh Guineas double in 2019 and during her career was placed in the Fillies' Mile, Criterium International, Coronation, Moyglare and Matron Stakes. Their older brother, The United States, won the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill and once-raced sister Ring The Bell is the dam of last season's Coronation Stakes third Sounds Of Heaven. Fire Lily, a half-sister by Dansili, was a triple Group 3 winner for David Wachman and placed at Group 1 level in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Prix Marcel Boussac.

It's a wonderful Kilfrush family; dam Beauty Is Truth won the Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene and Group 3 Prix d'Arenberg and is a Pivotal daughter of Group 3 Prix du Bois winner Zelding, who is also the dam of Listed Prix Finlande winner and dual Classic-placed Glorious Sight. That Singspiel mare is the dam of Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville winner and Prix Royal-Oak third Glycon, by Le Havre.

Dual Group 1 winner Hydrangea with her Wootton Bassett coltCredit: Coolmore

Zelding is a Warning half-sister to Group 2 winner Zipping, who was placed in the Prix Morny, Middle Park and Prix de l'Abbaye. Their Night Shift half-sister won the Group 3 Prix du Petit Couvert and their dam, Zelda, is a Caerleon half-sister to Last Tycoon, who won the Breeders' Cup Mile, Nunthorpe and King's Stand Stakes and was a leading sire in Australia.

Hydrangea was sent to Deep Impact when she retired from racing and has a four-year-old son by the brilliant sire. She then visited Dubawi, which resulted in Wingspan and her two-year-old brother, while her yearling is a colt by Wootton Bassett and she is due to him again this spring.

Who does she face?

Fozzy Stack gives the sponsors' filly, Accompanist, her first start and the filly who is from the first crop of Ballylinch Stud's Waldgeist, is the first foal of Call Me Katie, a daughter of Kodiac and Cheveley Park Stakes winner Carry On Katie.

Shania is also making her debut and Donnacha O'Brien's No Nay Never filly is from an Aga Khan family. She is the first foal of Sheranda, a Siyouni half-sister to Canadian Grade 3 winner Shahroze and to Group 2 Blandford Stakes winner Shamreen, the dam of Johnny Murtagh's Railway Stakes winner Shartash. 

Second dam Shareen won the Group 3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Stakes and is a Bahri half-sister to Brigadier Gerard Stakes winner Sharestan.

The Jessica Harrington-trained It'sonlyjustbegun is a Churchill half-sister to Listed Prix Cavalassur winner Flaming Princess and out of Qatar Princess, a Marju half-sister to German 1,000 Guineas winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Hawksmoor and Royal Lodge winner Royal Dornoch.

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