Commonwealth Cup hero Golden Horde gives Lethal Force a maiden Group 1 winner

Golden Horde showed his rivals a clear pair of heels in the Commonwealth Cup on Friday as the son of Lethal Force provided his sire with a breakthrough Group 1 winner.

Lethal Force was a top-class sprinter himself, winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Cup during a fruitful summer in 2013.

He retired to Cheveley Park Stud the following year and spent six seasons at the Newmarket operation. However, his popularity with breeders began to wane, serving just 16 mares in 2019, and he was switched to stand at Haras de Grandcamp in France for the latest covering season.

Lethal Force became the second sire son of Dark Angel to get on the scoreboard at this year's Royal Ascot, following the success of Motakhayyel, who is by Mickley Stud's Heeraat, in the Buckingham Palace Handicap on Tuesday.

Lethal Force strikes a pose at Haras de Grandcamp in FranceCredit: Haras de Grandcamp

Golden Horde is from Lethal Force's third crop and was bred by James Cloney of Clara Stud in County Kilkenny, who operates under the CN Farm banner. Cloney bought Golden Horde's dam Entreat carrying the future Group 1 winner in utero for just 14,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale in 2016.

Cloney sent Entreat to Mehmas after she produced Golden Horde, and the resulting foal brought £260,000 from Oliver St Lawrence at last year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. The colt, owned by Sheikh Nasser Al Khalifa and partner and named Line Of Departure, is in training with Roger Varian.

The dam also bred the Listed-winning Exhort and has a yearling filly by Zoffany on the ground. She visited Tweenhills shuttle sire sensation Zoustar last year.

Entreat is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Producer, while the mighty Serena's Song appears beneath her second dam, meaning the page also features high-achieving names such as Honor Code, Zabeel Prince, Rizeena and Summer Romance.

She is, of course, by broodmare sire extraordinare Pivotal, whose daughters have now produced 23 Group/Grade 1 winners, with Golden Horde joining the likes of Cracksman, Magical and this year's 1,000 Guineas heroine Love.

The Cheveley Park Stud stalwart was also on the mark as damsire at Royal Ascot on Thursday when the progressive Molatham landed the Group 3 Jersey Stakes.

Golden Horde is another Group 1 winner that Clive Cox has not only trained but selected from the yearling sales, having paid £65,000 for him at the Goffs UK Premier Sale.

Among his other notable purchases are the likes of Harry Angel, Kodi Bear, Gilt Edge Girl, Reckless Abandon and Lethal Force himself, who the trainer purchased for just €8,500 at Tattersalls Ireland in 2010.

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