Ethical Diamond shines on a special Breeders' Cup for value sires

Just as Ethical Diamond was proving that trainer Willie Mullins cannot be underestimated in any possible circumstance, the Breeders' Cup Turf winner's sire Awtaad can be put in the same category.

The five-year-old, who had no black type win of any denomination and was last seen landing the Ebor, provided the Derrinstown Stud stallion with his third Group or Grade 1 winner as he broke the track record under an inspired Dylan Brown McMonagle.

Ethical Diamond follows the example of Anisette, whose first of three Grade 1 triumphs came at the same track in the 2023 Del Mar Oaks. Awtaad is also the sire of the magnificent Anmaat, who captured last year's Champion Stakes at Ascot and was retired after finishing an honourable second to Delacroix in this year's Irish version.

Awtaad, the son of Cape Cross who was a winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas for the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and Kevin Prendergast, has sired seven individual Group winners and has been represented well again this season by Al Qareem, who recently completed a hat-trick in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot.

Ethical Diamond is a member of Awtaad's third crop from Derrinstown at a time he was standing for a career-high €15,000. This year he has been available for just €7,500.

Bred by William Kennedy and initially raced in the colours of his wife Emma, Ethical Diamond had won a maiden at Limerick and was then sold to Mullins and Harold Kirk for 320,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale in 2023.

He is the third foal and only winner out of Areion mare Pearl Diamond, a winner in Germany who is a sibling of German 2,000 Guineas scorer Precious Boy.

Bentornato won the Breeders' Cup Sprint for little-known sire Valiant MinisterCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Kennedy was actually in the mind of Mullins when he undertook the Breeders' Cup post-race press conference.

"The breeder, who's not here today, when he sold him to me, well, I didn't exactly rob him at the price that we paid, but he was worried could I get him some black type, maybe placed in a Listed race, and I promised him I would," Mullins said. "I think we overdelivered, but I'm sure he'd be delighted."

It certainly does a handsome turn to Ethical Diamond's full-brother, who is engaged in the Goffs November Foal Sale later this month.

The rest of the main Breeders' Cup card provided breakthrough moments for a few other reasonably-priced US sires.

WinStar Farm's Audible was set at a $7,500 fee for 2026 prior to Splendora pulverising her rivals in the Filly & Mare Sprint. Bob Baffert's filly had only won a minor black-type race before becoming her sire's first Grade 1 scorer from three crops of racing age.

Likewise Mitole, who is standing at Spendthrift for $10,000, had not claimed a Grade 1 prior to the showstopping effort of Shisospicy in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The stallion himself had rounded off a stellar racing career by taking the 2019 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Shisospicy's trainer Jose D'Angelo then helped Valiant Minister achieve the same feat by delivering the Sprint with Bentornato. Bridlewood Farm in Florida announced that the sire would be available for $3,000 next year. Their grey son of Candy Ride won his only ever start for Baffert having struggled with injury but had a big reputation ever since his breeze at the 2015 OBS June Sale, where he topped the auction at $680,000. Bentornato is his sole Graded winner.

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