Wootton Bassett half-brother to triple Oaks heroine Snowfall heads intriguing Saturday newcomers

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

Rock Of Cashel

Barronstown Stud Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden  (1.15 Curragh, Saturday)

What's the story?

Aidan O'Brien won this seven-furlong contest last year with a certain City Of Troy and connections will undoubtedly be hoping for another who can follow in the footsteps of the outstanding Derby hero.

The winner of the 2022 running, Proud And Regal, also claimed top-level honours when landing the Criterium International for Donnacha O'Brien later that season.

City Of Troy: Derby hero won this contest last seasonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ballydoyle is mob-handed this time with three newcomers, including the auspiciously named homebred Rock Of Cashel. We will dig into his pedigree below, but it could be argued that the Coolmore ownership think plenty of him.

How's he bred?

The son of Wootton Bassett is the fourth foal out of the Galileo mare Best In The World, winner of the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes and a half-length second in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes.

She is a sister to four black-type winners or performers, namely Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Found, Group 3 Flame Of Tara winner and Irish Oaks second Divinely, Group 3 Weld Park Stakes victress Magical Dream, and Rubies Are Red, second in this season's Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial.

They are out of the wonderful Red Evie, an Intikhab mare who won the Group 1 Lockinge and Matron Stakes for Michael Bell.

Best In The World is the dam of three winners from as many runners so far, headed by English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Snowfall. The ill-fated Deep Impact filly won the Oaks at Epsom by an incredible 16 lengths under Frankie Dettori.

Found: champion is a Galileo sister to Best In The WorldCredit: Edward Whitaker

The second black-type horse out of Best In The World is Alfred Munnings, a son of Dubawi who was three times Group-placed for Ballydoyle and Coolmore last year, while Snowfall's Deep Impact brother is Newfoundland, who struck in a Navan maiden in 2022. Best In The World has a yearling colt by Dubawi.

Who does he face?

The colt's two stablemates include Trinity College, a son of Dubawi and Galileo's English and Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Hermosa, making him a brother to recent winner Igor Stravinsky, by No Nay Never.

Bernard Shaw, meanwhile, is by Into Mischief and out of Street Cry's Canadian Grade 2 scorer Princess Haya. The $1,800,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate is a half-brother to three stakes horses, including Listed winner and Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes second Lady Kate and the Grade 3-placed Princess Theorem.

Bernard Shaw after his seven-figure sale at KeenelandCredit: Keeneland Photo

Another son of Wootton Bassett is Apples And Bananas, a €130,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 graduate from the top-class Aga Khan family of Sinndar.

Anything else of note on Saturday?

Definitely! The concluding La Celia Wines Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden (5.15) sees another well-bred Ballydoyle newcomer make his debut. John Steinbeck is a homebred of Coolmore, being out of the team's Coolmore, a daughter of Galileo who secured Group success in the Weld Park Stakes and was also third in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks.

Coolmore is out of the blue hen You'resothrilling, a winner of the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes and a sister to the equally brilliant Giant's Causeway. That makes her a sister to dual Guineas hero and champion juvenile Gleneagles, Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Marvellous, Prix de Diane winner Joan Of Arc, dual Group 1-winning two-year-old Happily, plus the Classic or Group/Grade 1-placed trio of Taj Mahal, Vatican City and Toy.

Read more:

Farewell to a grande dame of the British broodmare ranks who transformed her home stud 

Gordon Elliott splashes €350,000 on half-brother to three Grade 1 winners after going head-to-head with Emmet Mullins 

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