'That can give you the chance of breeding a champion' - Manister House Stud in clover with Royal Ascot-bound filly

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

Good Morning Bloodstock is an exclusive daily email sent by the Racing Post bloodstock team and published here as a free sample.

On this occasion, Kitty Trice speaks to Luke Barry of Manister House Stud about the exciting Velozee – subscribers can get more great insight every Monday to Friday.

All you need do is click on the link above, sign up and then read at your leisure each weekday morning from 7am.

A dramatic moment at last year's Goffs Orby Sale may have caused a fair bit of anxiety, but it evidently has not stopped Velozee in her tracks. Far from it, with the unbeaten juvenile set to head to next month's Royal Ascot with a live chance of victory. 

Manister House Stud bred Velozee in partnership with Grange Stud, having acquired the Godolphin-bred Ocean Life for just 8,000gns at the 2021 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. 

Having sent Ocean Life to Sioux Nation in 2023, Luke Barry’s Croom-based operation sold the resulting filly to trainer Paddy Twomey for €92,000 at Goffs Orby Book 1 last September. Velozee has inherited plenty of her family's ability, showing a brave attitude to get up in the dying strides at Cork on debut. Her next start saw her scoot away from well-regarded Amo Racing and Coolmore-owned rivals in the Listed First Flier Stakes at the Curragh.

Despite the silky smooth start to her racing career it was not quite the case last September, although she caught the eye of more than one leading trainer as a result. 

Barry said: "We had a very close call because there was a minor incident at the Orby Sale where she was having her rug put back on in the stable and she bolted out the door and got loose. She scattered everybody in the consignment, turned the corner at the top of the yard on a sixpence, and ran right through Flash Conroy’s consignment in Glenvale, scattering everybody there. 

"She was spotted by a very shrewd Roger Varian who said, 'now that's a racehorse.' Unfortunately for Roger, when he viewed her the following morning, she didn’t quite catch his eye as much as she did the day before. But she looked very fast that day."

On how he acquired the well-related, but unraced, Ocean Life, Barry said: "We were lucky enough to buy Ocean Life from Godolphin at the sales off the back of owning Novantae, who's been a very lucky mare for the farm. 

Firth Of Lorne (far side): narrow Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up is the third dam of VelozeeCredit: Ed Byrne

"Ocean Life's her half-sister and she was on a list I'd shared with David and Catherine Magnier from Grange Stud and they seemed to like the mare plenty. We've had a lucky partnership, Grange is a wonderful farm, it produces loads of good horses, and they're great partners to have."

Velozee also hails from one of Sheikh Mohammed's finest families. Her third dam is Firth Of Lorne, second to Kingman's dam Zenda in the 2002 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and now an influential figure in her own right. 

The Danehill mare has produced Breeders' Cup Mile hero Master Of The Seas, a son of Dubawi, and Street Cry's Group 3-winning Falls Of Lora among others. The latter is also the dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Cascadian and his Hardwicke Stakes-winning brother Isle Of Jura.

Barry said: "Many breeders will agree that when you're combing through those large consignments at the mare sales, somebody else's culls could very easily be our rough diamonds. The likes of Godolphin give us that opportunity and we get to buy into some of these wonderful families.

"Ocean Life’s family has progressed away, especially throughout the third dam. Master Of The Seas kept winning Group 1s for Charlie Appleby and lots of black-type horses kept popping up. Hopefully the family will continue to produce plenty of good horses.

"She really does look a talented filly. Paddy Twomey's done a terrific job with her and he was the one who spotted her at the sales He's been quietly confident with us about her prospects and both he and Billy Lee think she should progress from here, which is most exciting."

Manister House Stud has acquired plenty of the immediate family, something which bodes well given Velozee's rapidly progressive profile. 

Luke Barry: his Manister House Stud bred Velozee alongside Grange StudCredit: Tattersalls

He said: "It's really exciting when you breed a smart, precocious horse, but it's especially exciting when it's a young mare who's got her future ahead of her. We now own three half-sisters: Novantae, Ocean Life, and Muntasira, who's by Night Of Thunder and also has some stock in the ground. So, hopefully the family will continue to flourish."

There's plenty for the team to look forward to aside from Velozee. Ocean Life is just eight-years-old and has some exciting young stock in the pipeline, as well as an exciting covering this term.

He said: "We initially sent the mare to Gleneagles and then to Sioux Nation because we like young mares to go to proven stallions. Give them a chance, send them to stallions who've got a nice record producing hard-knocking horses, and that can give you the chance of breeding a champion. Gleneagles and Sioux Nation tick those boxes. 

"Ocean Life has a Blackbeard yearling filly out in the field, who looks very precocious — very much in a similar vein to Velozee— and a Look De Vega filly foal at foot. She's now carrying service to Camille Pissarro."

Barry was also quick to pay tribute to Velozee's owners, Gary Matthews and Steve Weston. The latter was a part-owner of brilliant filly Porta Fortuna and he has now joined the partnership. 

He said: "The other huge bonus in breeding a filly like this is getting to follow her on the racecourse and getting to meet the owners. Gary Matthews is a gentleman and it’s been a pleasure to spend time with him following Paddy’s introduction at the races. Steve Weston, one of the luckiest owners in racing, has now bought into the filly and he’s a great character and a guy who I’ve got to know through Mark McStay. 

"We really do wish both of them the very best of luck going forward. Hopefully, we’re all going to have some fun."  

Refer a friend!

If you have a friend who would like to receive Good Morning Bloodstock please send the following link where they can sign up.

What do you think?

Share your thoughts with other Good Morning Bloodstock readers by emailing gmb@racingpost.com

Pedigree pick

James Fanshawe saddles the well-bred filly Silk Road for her third start in the 8.00 at Wolverhampton today. 

Bred and co-owned by the Cumani's Fittocks Stud, the daughter of Too Darn Hot is out of Group 2 Hill Stakes winner Silk Sari, a daughter of Dalakhani. 

Silk Sari’s three winners are headed by the stakes-placed Early Adopter, while Chanderi, her unraced daughter of Dubawi is the dam of VRC Oaks winner Zardozi, a daughter of Kingman. 

Further back, this is the same family as three-time US Grade 1 winner Program Trading.