First foal for history-making Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling

Kenmare Castle Stud is celebrating the arrival of the first foal by its resident stallion, Rekindling, who was born on Friday morning at the farm near Limerick.

The Melbourne Cup winner began his stallion career at William Fox's farm last February and is the first stallion that Fox has stood himself, although previously he was involved in stallions at Longford House Stud.

Speaking to the Racing Post last spring, Fox revealed that he had gone in search of a horse by High Chaparral specifically as he owns a half-sister to Unsung Heroine, successful in the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes and then beaten just a head in the St Leger by Conduit.

Unsung Heroine is by the Derby and Breeders' Cup Turf winner and is a three-parts sister to Derby runner-up Khalifa Sat, who is a son of High Chaparral's Prince Of Wales's Stakes winner, and Irish National Stud sire, Free Eagle.

Rekindling eats from the Melbourne Cup trophy held aloft by Frank WilliamsCredit: Grossick Racing Photography 0771

It is fitting that Rekindling's first foal is a colt out of that mare, La Protagonista. The Night Shift mare is the dam of Across The Line, successful over hurdles and fences, and a son of Fame And Glory.

Rekindling is from the penultimate crop of High Chaparral and was trained by Joseph O'Brien to become the youngest winner of the Melbourne Cup in 76 years, as a Northern Hemisphere three-year-old. In addition to his Australian victory, he also won the Group 2 Curragh Cup and the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes.

Bred by the Pocock Family, he is a full-brother to Group 3 Chester Vase winner and Irish Derby second Golden Sword. Their dam Sitara is a half-sister to Shouk, who is the dam of Group 1 winners Alexandrova and Magical Romance, herself the second dam of Prix de Diane winner Channel. It is also the family of Irish Oaks winner Chicquita and the Mackinnon Stakes winner Magic Wand.

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