Another Group 1 gelding and Scat Daddy's legacy: day one breeding angles

This year's European Group 1 races continue to produce slim pickings for stallion masters as the first two places in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday were filled by geldings.

Lord Glitters, a six-year-old son of Whipper, stayed on strongly to record a neck victory over Beat The Bank, a five-year-old by Paco Boy.

That result follows top-level successes this year for other geldings Defoe (Coronation Cup), Mustashry (Lockinge Stakes) and Zabeel Prince (Prix d'Ispahan). In fact, with the filly Magical having landed the Tattersalls Gold Cup, the only entires to have won a Group 1 in Britain, Ireland or France for older horses this year are King's Stand Stakes victor Blue Point and Prix Ganay scorer Waldgeist.

At least the close third to Lord Glitters in the Queen Anne, the five-year-old mare One Master, is able to pass on her talent to the next generation and her owner-breeder Lael Stables must be relishing breeding from her as she is by Fastnet Rock out of Group 3-winning sprinter Enticing. In turn, Enticing is by Pivotal out of Norfolk Stakes winner Superstar Leo, who was bred by Lester Piggott – immortalised in bronze in a statue unveiled at Ascot on Tuesday – and Tony Hirschfeld and was later raced by Lael Stables.

David O'Meara in jubilant mood after Lord Glitters struck in the Queen Anne StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Lord Glitters was produced in France and sourced from there by his owner Geoff Turnbull and trainer David O'Meara. He was bred by Elevage de Tourgeville and Hilary Erculiani out of the Listed-placed Homme De Loi mare Lady Glitters, the dam of seven winners in total but no other black-type performers other than her Royal Ascot hero son.

Lady Glitters – whose unraced daughter Pivoline is the dam of Group 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron winner Petit Chevalier – is a half-sister to Listed scorers Grey Glitters and Loupy Glitters and further back it is the family of Nassau Stakes and Prix Vermeille runner-up Ana Marie and Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Morandi. Her third dam is Ordenstreue, the German champion three-year-old filly of 1966.

The mare has a Style Vendome yearling filly and a Zarak filly foal.

Lord Glitters was originally a €25,000 Arqana October Yearling Sale purchase by Ecurie du Trieux. After winning two races at four for trainer Christophe Lotoux he was knocked down to O'Meara's assistant Jason Kelly for €270,000 at Arqana's July fixture.

Whipper now has four Group/Grade 1 winners to his name, after Wizz Kid, Waikika and last year's star French miler Recoletos.

A three-time Group 1 winner with a fine pedigree – by Miesque's Son and a three-parts brother to Divine Proportions – Whipper seemed to be endowed with the right stuff to succeed as a stallion and was retired to Ballylinch Stud at a fee of €12,000 but his record was patchy at best and in 2011 he was moved to stand in France.

After several further relocations he commanded a fee of €3,300 at Haras de Treban this year.

Scat Daddy influence felt

Late Ashford Stud stallion Scat Daddy took the world of breeding by storm and Royal Ascot so often provided the perfect arena for his sire power. His winners at the meeting included Acapulco, Caravaggio, Con Te Partiro, Lady Aurelia, No Nay Never and Sioux Nation.

Scat Daddy's final crop are three-year-olds, so his presence on racecards will start to recede, but Scat Daddy's sons – heavily mined by Coolmore in particular – could continue the father's legacy, with last year's European champion first-season sire No Nay Never off to a particularly good start.

Arizona: his dam Lady Ederle was an inexpensive acquisitionCredit: Alan Crowhurst

No Nay Never's debut northern hemisphere crop has produced nine stakes winners, including the classy Land Force and Ten Sovereigns, and the second year's produce yielded its first stakes winner on Tuesday when Arizona dug deep to take the Coventry Stakes.

Arizona was bred by Stephen Sullivan and is the third foal out of the placed mare Lady Ederle, a daughter of English Channel and Italian Oaks victress Bright Generation, who also features as granddam of former European champion two-year-old Dabirsim. Remarkably, Lady Ederle was not sold at $10,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and was knocked down to Milestone Farm for just $27,000 at the company's November Sale in 2012.

Arizona has done his previous connections some good turns. Conceived in No Nay Never's second season at Coolmore, when he stood at €17,500 as compared with €100,000 this year, he was sold from the Houghton Bloodstock draft to Fairway Partners for 65,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. He was then sold by the Fairway Consignment to Coolmore's MV Magnier for €260,000 at last year's Arqana August Yearling Sale.

Lady Ederle has a yearling filly by Estidhkaar.

Blue Point stallion appeal

Safe to say that Blue Point, who made it back-to-back victories in the King's Stand Stakes on Tuesday, will be in strong demand when he eventually retires to join the Darley stallion roster.

Not only has he established himself as one of the best sprinters around, but his pedigree also holds significant commercial appeal. He is by Kildangan Stud stalwart Shamardal, who has been out of reach of outside breeders due to health considerations in recent seasons, and out of a mare by Royal Applause, who has made a big impression on the stallion ranks principally through his son Acclamation.

Blue Point: bred by Oak Lodge Stud out of Scarlett RoseCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Blue Point's placed dam Scarlett Rose has also produced Railway Stakes winner Formosina and she is a half-sister to multiple Group 3 winner Tumbleweed Ridge and to the dam of Queen Mary Stakes scorer Gilded.

Blue Point's price-tags at the sales pay tribute to his looks. He was bought by Ebor Bloodstock for 110,000gns from the draft of his breeder Oak Lodge Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, and he joined the Godolphin ranks after being bought from West Moor Stud for 200,000gns as a Book 1 yearling.

Scarlett Rose has a two-year-old colt by Night Of Thunder, bought by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 90,000gns last year and subsequently named Desert Destination, and she has a yearling filly by Invincible Spirit bred by Oak Lodge Stud in partnership with the Irish National Stud.

It's that man again

Galileo edges ever closer to matching and overtaking one-time Coolmore colleague Danehill's record of siring 84 Group/Grade 1 winners, with son Circus Maximus becoming number 78 with a well-timed win over King Of Comedy and Too Darn Hot in the St James's Palace Stakes.

Circus Maximus bears the hallmarks of so many of Galileo's offspring nowadays: out of a mare who was top-class up to a mile and by a Danehill-line sire. Bred by the Niarchos family, he is the only recorded offspring of Duntle, a daughter of Danehill Dancer who struck at Royal Ascot twice – in the Sandringham Handicap in 2012 and the Duke of Cambridge Stakes in the following year.

Circus Maximus: out of dual Royal Ascot heroine DuntleCredit: Edward Whitaker

Duntle, trained by David Wachman for the Niarchos family, won five races in total but was denied a deserved Group 1 success when demoted to second in favour of Chachamaidee after finishing first past the post in the Matron Stakes.

Bred by Airlie Stud, Duntle is out of the winning Lord At War mare Lady Angola, a half-sister to the dam of Woodford Reserve Turf Classic winner Honor In War, from a family chock-full of Grade 1 winners including Al Mamoon, Icon Project, La Gueriere and Munnings.

Surprisingly, considering her future achievements, Duntle had few friends in the sale ring in her youth and was a vendor buyback at just €36,000 as a Goffs Orby yearling.

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