Cult hero Taws proving up to the test as her breeding career gets under way

Cult hero Taws, whose tenacious attitude won her the sort of fan base usually reserved for Group 1 performers, has begun the next chapter of her career, having produced her first foal, a filly by dual Group 2 winner Time Test.

Bred and raced by Ken and Jan Arrowsmith of Harts Farm Stud in Gloucestershire, Taws gained a legion of admirers as her seemingly endless stamina saw her win six races on the Flat.

She also finished runner-up in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Goodwood Stakes, as well as winning over hurdles, a discipline in which she gained black type when second to Finian's Oscar in a Listed contest at Exeter.

"Taws is now in Ireland with Barry Morehead and he informs me that her first foal, a filly by Time Test, is doing well and has a great step on her," Ken Arrowsmith said of the daughter of Hernando. "She will be covered by Mount Nelson this year."

Taws is the sixth foal out of Harts Farm Stud's Reaf, a daughter of In The Wings who has produced five winners. Her brood includes the Listed-placed pair Deauville Flyer and Duke Of Bronte, as well as Prince Of Harts, who looked a name to follow when making a winning three-year-old reappearance at Wolverhampton last month.

Reaf is still going strong at Harts Farm, and this year delivered a Jack Hobbs half-sister to Taws.

Reaf with her strapping Jack Hobbs fillyCredit: Harts Farm Stud

"Reaf, who is 21 this year and looks as if she has undergone anti-ageing treatment, is defying the adage to avoid youngstock out of older mares, producing Duke Of Bronte and Prince Of Harts at the age of 16 and 18 respectively," said Arrowsmith.

"Her 2019 filly by Jack Hobbs is a credit to both the mare and the stallion, and she is already scanned in foal to Poet's Word."

The Reaf clan could also be set for a big year on the track, with Duchess Of Bronte and Prince Of Harts due to be joined by the returning Duke Of Bronte.

"Duke Of Bronte's benefited greatly from his time off and has now filled out his substantial frame - we hope he could be a Group horse by the autumn if he is back to his best," said Arrowsmith.

Duke Of Bronte in winning action at NewburyCredit: Mark Cranham

Reaf is not the only Harts Farm mare to have welcomed a foal by Overbury Stud's Jack Hobbs, with Dreams Allowed, an unraced daughter of Authorized from the family of Time Charter, having produced a colt by the Irish Derby and Dubai Sheema Classic winner. Dreams Allowed delivered her first foal, a filly by Marcel, last year.

"We have three foals on the ground and all are strong types with good conformation," said Arrowsmith. "The Jack Hobbs colt out of Dreams Allowed steals the show with a birth weight of 61kg.

"Dreams Allowed has been scanned in foal to Poet's Word. Like Jack Hobbs, we feel he's great value for a class act racehorse. Our final foal is a filly by Cityscape out of Golden Valley [daughter of Reaf] and this mare could be in receipt of some updates to her pedigree this year. She is scanned in foal to Sir Percy."

Golden Valley is due to be represented by her first runners this year, with Jet Set Go, a four-year-old daughter of Equiano, and a two-year-old Mustajeeb colt named Must Dream in training with Seb Spencer.

Completing the Harts Farm broodmare band are Angeleno, who has a Toronado colt yearling and is visiting Sir Percy, while her daughter, Annies Couture, has been scanned in foal to Bobbys Kitten.

More mating plan news:

Galileo and Justify on the dance card of Blue Diamond Stud's broodmare band

Meon Valley Stud's 2019 mating plans anything but black and white