Echo Of Light's name reverberating once more thanks to his daughters' exploits

A clear indicator of how Dubai Millennium’s legacy was evolving was apparent at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2003, the year his sole crop were yearlings.

Sheikh Mohammed’s desire to take control of the 56 foals sired by his champion had been there for all to see in the months following the stallion’s sad demise the previous April, with a number of youngsters consequently heading into Maktoum ownership by private transaction.

So there wasn’t much surprise when the sheikh, acting through John Ferguson, made a play for Pat O’Kelly’s Dubai Millennium colt out of Spirit Of Tara when he came under the hammer at Goffs in September 2003. Armed with imposing good looks and a pedigree rich in luminaries such as Salsabil and Marju, the colt duly came into Godolphin ownership on a bid of €1,200,000, a figure strong enough to dominate that year’s sale.