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'It just made sense to go back' - Moyglare Stud Farm mating plans for 2023 revealed

Homeless Songs is led in by Eva-Maria Bucher Haefner after victory in the 2022 Irish 1,000 Guineas
Homeless Songs is led in by Eva-Maria Bucher Haefner after victory in the 2022 Irish 1,000 Guineas Credit: CAROLINE NORRIS

This year is a case of going with the proven as far as Moyglare Stud Farm's matings are concerned, with Joailliere set to return to the source that produced last year's Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs. 

The daughter of Dubawi already has a fine record despite being a relatively youthful 11-year-old, with her Classic-winning Frankel filly the second of two black-type winners from as many runners after Reve De Vol, a son of Siyouni, who struck in a Listed event at the Curragh in 2021 before heading down under. 

In addition to whatever Joailliere's return visit to European champion sire Frankel produces, she also has a filly foal by St Mark's Basilica on the ground, as well as an unraced three-year-old colt by Sea The Stars (Time Tells All) and a two-year-old brother to Homeless Songs (Spoken Truth). 

Homeless Songs, whose 2022 campaign ended with a seventh-placed finish in the Sun Chariot Stakes on the Rowley Mile, remains in training with Dermot Weld and is likely to be out soon with the Flat season beginning. 

Homeless Songs: Classic heroine's dam will be returning to the source of her success
Homeless Songs: Classic heroine's dam will be returning to the source of her successCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Moyglare's long-time adviser Fiona Craig says: "Homeless Songs is good, she's been in training all winter and we're hoping to run her sometime in the next few weeks. 

"She's in great order and we'll decide future plans after her first run of the year." 

Another high-class Moyglare mare set to visit Frankel is Sonaiyla, an Aga Khan Studs-bred daughter of Dark Angel from the family of the great Sinndar. 

Purchased for 900,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2020, she won the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes in the Moyglare silks the following year, having also struck in Listed company and finished third to Glass Slippers in the Flying Five Stakes for her previous connections.

"She had a Frankel colt the other day, that was her first foal, and it makes sense to go back, especially as that was the initial plan when purchasing her," says Craig.

The broodmare band is minus its late blue hen Polished Gem, but the phenomenal Danehill mare's legacy will live on through her daughters Amma Grace, Sapphire and the newly retired Search For A Song. 

Search For A Song: dual Irish St Leger winner is booked in for Baaeed
Search For A Song: dual Irish St Leger winner is booked in for BaaeedCredit: Patrick McCann

Dual Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song has taken well to life out of training, with Craig reporting: "She's in Newmarket and has been covered by Baaeed. She seems to be very happy with life after having a bit of downtime at Moyglare. 

"She ran in Paris at the end of October and it was almost as if she knew that was her last race - she was second to a younger, faster horse [in Iresine] but acted as though she'd won; she was as proud as punch. 

"She absolutely loved being in training but had to stop as some stage. She's a Galileo out of a Danehill mare who stayed two miles and physically Baaeed hopefully should suit her, and I see little point trying to breeding a sprinter out of her."

"If you were commercial you'd breed her to a sprinter, but I'm just hoping she has a filly that has a few of her idiosyncrasies, her scope and ability to accelerate."

Her stakes-winning full-sister Amma Grace was empty to Dubawi last season but will visit Wootton Bassett this time, while Medicean half-sister Sapphire - the dam of black-type performers Federica Sophia (who visits Kingman for her first covering) and Kiss For A Jewel - has yet to have her 2023 mating decided but is due to foal to the exciting Palace Pier. 

One of Sapphire's daughters, Acqua Di Gioia, is among the first book of Coolmore's champion two-year-old Blackbeard.

Other new recruits to the broodmare band at Moyglare include the Listed-placed Emilie Gray, a daughter of Dubawi and Carla Bianca who will be mated with Saxon Warrior, and Port Sunlight, a talented Harzand filly out of Liber Nauticus whose first covering will be by Too Darn Hot.

Eva-Maria Bucher hugs Chris Hayes after victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas for Homeless Songs
Eva-Maria Bucher hugs Chris Hayes after victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas for Homeless SongsCredit: Patrick McCann

The aforementioned Carla Bianca was a dual Group 3 winner herself and has made a good start to her paddocks career. She has a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett and is due to foal to Sea The Stars, while Musidora Stakes winner Liber Nauticus was not covered last season after foaling a May-born filly by Sea The Stars. She now goes to another Aga Khan Studs sire in Siyouni. 

Majestic Silver has been an exceptional mare for Moyglare as the dam of Joailliere, Carla Bianca and Beresford Stakes second True Solitaire, and the 17-year-old is due to foal to Blue Point before an as yet undecided cover this year. 

Another proven producer is Es Que, the dam of Hong Kong Vase winner Dominant, Lennox Stakes winner Es Que Love and Listed winners Zhui Feng and Listen In. She is carrying to Sea The Stars, the sire of the last-named Group 2-winning performer.

Other notable mares include Kiss For A Jewel, by Kingman and a granddaughter of Polished Gem who will be covered by St Mark's Basilica having produced a Frankel filly last year and a colt by Dark Angel this term.

All Our Tomorrows, another by Kingman and from the family of the top-class Islington, was a 1,700,000gns buy from the Ballymacoll Stud dispersal in 2017. She has a yearling filly by Dubawi and is booked in again to the champion sire this season.

Making Light, a Group winner by Tamayuz from the family of Irresistible Jewel, heads to No Nay Never after foaling a filly by Kingman, while Irresistible Jewel's daughter Mad About You, the dam of the winning and Group-placed Kodiac filly A Ma Chere, is booked in for another Coolmore sire in Sioux Nation. A Ma Chere produced a Mehmas filly last month and will now be covered by Dark Angel. 

Moyglare's American-based team also has plenty of strength in depth, with Grade 1 winner Switch, the dam of winners including the Group 3-placed Kiss You Later, heading to Not This Time after foaling a colt by Uncle Mo. 

Another top-flight winner, Celestine, a daughter of Scat Daddy who sold to Moyglare for $2,550,000 at the Keeneland November Sale in 2016, will be bred to Gun Runner after producing a filly by Curlin, while Beautiful Lover, a Grade 3 scorer by Arch, will go to Uncle Mo. 

ASCOT, ENGLAND - JUNE 16: Kyprios ridden by Ryan Moore beats Mojo Star (6) ridden by Rossa Ryan and Stradivarius (3) ridden by Frankie Dettori on the way to winning The Gold Cup during day three of Royal Ascot 2022 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2022 in
Kyprios: champion stayer is back for more action this seasonCredit: Alex Livesey (Getty Images)

Last season proved an annus mirabilis for Eva Maria Bucher-Haefner's operation in its landmark 60th year, through not just Homeless Songs but champion stayer Kyprios, who will bid for further cup honours for Aidan O'Brien. 

The tough and talented son of Galileo and Polished Gem cemented his top-dog status with a phenomenal 20-length strike in the Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend. 

Others who contributed to a marvellous 2022 and will be after more black-type success are the progressive Prix de la Nonette and Prix de Psyche winner Trevaunance, in the care of Jessica Harrington, and another Ballydoyle inmate in Cheshire Oaks winner Thoughts Of June. 

Craig adds: "Let's see how Trevaunance gets on this year, Jessie has a bit of a plan for her, and obviously Aidan's got Kyprios, while Thoughts Of June stays in training too, as do last year's two-year-old stakes performers, Eternal Silence and Keep In Touch.

"Only four [mares] retired last year so let's see how the 2023 horses in training get on."


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Kitty TriceBloodstock journalist

Published on 24 March 2023inNews

Last updated 18:46, 24 March 2023

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