Morpheus steams in with debut winner at Brighton

Morpheus, an Oasis Dream half-brother to Frankel and a three-time winner during his own racing career, got off the mark as a sire when James Watt made a winning debut in the 5½f novice auction stakes at Brighton on Tuesday.

The colt also became the first 2018 breeze-up graduate to find his way into the winner's enclosure in Britain and Ireland, having been picked up by Alex Elliott for £26,000 at this year's Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale.

Trained by Michael Bell and ridden by Hayley Turner, the same partnership that won the 2011 Nunthorpe with Margot Did, James Watt took up the lead inside the final furlong and kept on well to win by two lengths from Dandy Man filly Wedding Date, with Kuroshio colt Kapono two and a quarter lengths back in third.

Bred by Tally-Ho Stud, where his eight-year-old sire stands at a €4,000 fee, James Watt is the third winner from as many runners out of the Listed-placed sprinter Tomintoul Singer, a half-sister to the Hilary Needler Trophy scorer Geesala.

Pinhooked by Andrew Lynch's Kilbrew Stables for £17,000 as a yearling, James Watt also holds an early entry to the Redcar 2yo Trophy in October.

Other exciting runners by Morpheus to look forward to this year include the colt out of Winter Song, picked up for £60,000 by Blandford Bloodstock at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale, and Pure Folly's colt Blazing Dreams, who will race for the Champagne Charlies syndicate and trainer Ben Haslam, having been purchased for £22,000 at Doncaster.

Bred by Rory O'Brien, Blazing Dreams is a sibling to four winners including the eight-time winner Lucky Numbers.

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