Lady fires a bullet for James Garfield at Doncaster

Mill Reef Stakes winner James Garfield is off the mark as a stallion with the debut success of Lady Bullet in the British European Breeders' Fund EBF Maiden Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday.

Trained by Alice Haynes for The Three Bullets, Lady Bullet is a product of Rathbarry Stud, where her sire stands, through and through. Bred by the Cashman family, she is the third foal out of Lil's Joy, who is a daughter of former Rathbarry stallion Lilbourne Lad.

Lil's Joy was bred by Rathbarry and raced in the silks of Catherine Cashman for whom she was second in the Group 3 Prix d'Arenberg and the Listed Criterium de Vitesse. She is now the dam of three winners from her first three foals, with last season's Listed Rockingham Stakes fourth Ever Given holding entries at Chester in the coming days.

Lady Bullet came through the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale a little over a fortnight ago, where she was sold by Aguiar Bloodstock to her trainer for 48,000gns. She had been purchased by Robson Aguiar at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale for £17,000.

James Garfield, who won the Greenham Stakes at three and was second in the Prix Maurice de Gheest for owner-breeder Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs, is a son of Exceed And Excel from the family of Invincible Spirit, Kodiac and Pride Of Dubai.

He has 46 juveniles registered in his first crop and Lady Bullet is just the second runner by James Garfield, whose 2022 fee is €4,000.

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