Surprise package Cityscape enjoys a late-season surge in popularity

Cityscape showed once again he could be the surprise package among the sophomore sires when daughter Give And Take stamped her Investec Oaks claims with a one-length victory in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes on Wednesday.

The Overbury Stud resident – who stands at a fee of just £4,500, a fraction of some of his more celebrated peers such as Camelot and Dawn Approach – is in line for a late surge in bookings from mare owners in the twilight of the Flat breeding season.

Cityscape is now the sire of three black-type winners, with Dan's Dream having landed the Dubai Duty Free Stakes and The Broghie Man taking the Committed Stakes last month, and Overbury Stud's Simon Sweeting said breeders have not been slow to avail themselves of a stallion who is increasingly looking a bona fide bargain.

“He has 60 mares on his book at the moment and now that breeders are seeing he's performing well above his fee, there is the potential for plenty more and I wouldn't be surprised if he got up to 75,” he said.

“We had Fast Company in the year his daughter Jet Setting won the Irish 1,000 Guineas. That happened later in May and he still managed to get an extra 15 mares on the back of it. There are plenty of mares sitting there with their owners wondering whether to cover them or not, and Cityscape is perfect for them.”

Sweeting added that Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape – who covered 48 mares last year and 42 in 2016 – has “tremendous libido and very good fertility”, which might enhance his appeal to breeders at this stage of the season.

Reflecting on Cityscape's fruitful spell, Sweeting said: “He did well with his two-year-olds last year, which allowed us to dream, and now those dreams are being realised.

Give And Take - a close relation to Fame And Glory - wins the Musidora StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

“Dan's Dream was disappointing in the 1,000 Guineas but that was not her day. She bubbled over and spread a plate; it was all just too much for her. I think we can put that to one side and the plan is to run her in the Irish 1,000 Guineas next.

“It's remarkable he is getting both good sprinters, such as The Broghie Man, and Oaks prospects but I suppose we shouldn't be surprised as he is a half-brother to Bated Breath, who was a very good sprinter, but he stayed nine furlongs himself.

“The one thing you can say is he is upgrading his mares and seems to be putting quality into his stock.”

Give And Take gets a significant injection of stamina from her maternal pedigree.

Bred and owned by Nicholas Jones of Coln Valley Stud, she is the first foal out of Grace And Glory, an unraced Montjeu sister to Irish Derby and Gold Cup hero Fame And Glory and to the dam of 1,000 Guineas winner Legatissimo.

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