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Irish Derby winner another bred from a mare culled by the Aga Khan

Capri follows Harzand and Almanzor in highlighting value of his drafts

Capri is the fifth Irish Derby winner sired by 2001 winner GalileoCredit: Patrick McCann

A fierce pace in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, adeptly orchestrated between the five Ballydoyle runners, was presumably expected to suit Wings Of Eagles above all, judging from the way the son of Pour Moi had hit overdrive to get up at Epsom last month. But it played equally to the strengths of Capri, who just held off Cracksman and Wings Of Eagles to ensure that Frankel’s phenomenal sire Galileo reiterated seniority over his son.

Capri is the fifth Irish Derby winner sired by Galileo, himself the winner in 2001 - the others being Soldier Of Fortune, Cape Blanco, Treasure Beach and Australia. But the grey also has something in common with the 2016 winner, Harzand, in that his dam was also culled by the Aga Khan Studs. Given that the same operation also offloaded the dam of last year's European champion Almanzor, it is certainly ensuring a premium value for those mares it must inevitably send to market every year.

Capri's dam Dialafara, a winning daughter of Anabaa, was sold to Mags O'Toole for €175,000 at the Arqana breeding stock sale in December 2010. She is out of the Linamix mare Diamilina, a Group 2 winner and Prix Vermeille runner-up, herself a half-sister to the triple Group 1 runner-up Diamond Green and also to the dam of Melbourne Cup second Bauer.

Since her sale, Dialafara has been bred under the appellation of Lynch Bages - this element named after a fine Pauillac and, associated with Coolmore linchpin Paul Shanahan, also listed as breeder of Pour Moi himself - and Camas Park Stud. The ten-year-old has been granted annual trysts with Galileo, and both Capri’s two older siblings showed promise as early winners in curtailed careers. Since delivering Capri, she has produced another grey colt - named Cypress Creek and, naturally enough, entered for next year’s Derby - and a yearling filly. Unfortunately her most recent visit to the Coolmore champion yielded no return.

Incidentally, while we will never know how Frankel might have fared over a mile and a half - his connections having rejected any temptation to go for the Arc; along, it must be said, with every other race staged outside Britain - the way Cracksman rallied off that strong pace to get within a neck of Capri does not make the thought any less wistful.

Regardless, Bated Breath is certainly doing his utmost to ensure that he is not overshadowed by his Juddmonte companion and produced a first Group winner when Beckford landed the GAIN Railway Stakes earlier on the card.

Beckford gives his sire Bated Breath a first Group success in the Railway StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Beckford was picked up for €55,000 as a Goffs Orby yearling by Aidan O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott, and was acquired for Newtown Anner Stud after impressing on his debut over course and distance in May.

Originally sold as a foal for 58,000gns at the Tattersalls December Sale, he was bred by Joyce Wallsgrove from the winning Danehill Dancer mare, Whirly Dancer - who she bought for just 9,500gns, though from the useful family of Inchinor. As such, Beckford’s dam and sire both count Danehill as grandsire, respectively via Danehill Dancer and Dansili.

Chris McGrath

Published on 1 July 2017inInternational

Last updated 18:54, 1 July 2017

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