Miracle filly Midnight Mile adds further glory to Arc heroine Alpinista's family

Richard and Roisin Henry's acquisition of Jude, a three-year-old daughter of Darshaan who had failed to win in four visits to the course for Paul Cole and Prince Fahd Salman, at the end of her racing career continues to pay the greatest dividends.

The latest star to emerge from the family is the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Midnight Mile, who had a heartstopping entrance into the world at Coolmore in January 2020, as Roisin Henry explained.

"She was born by caesarean section and the vets at Coolmore did an amazing job as we thought she was in trouble. So she's really special, she’s a survivor, you know," she said.

"She got checked quite badly, I thought that was the end of it [in the race] but she kept battling. Her dam, Ruby Tuesday, was the last one out of our foundation mare Jude, so we kept her."

The remarkable circumstances around her birth and the fact that both the mare and foal survived are a testament to the veterinary teams at Coolmore and the Fethard Equine Hospital.

"When she was born they must have had 15 guys standing around her awaiting this foal. It was incredible. The fact we got a live foal was amazing and the fact the mare is still alive is amazing. She is really special," added Roisin Henry, whose husband heads up Coolmore's public relations arm.

“You don’t expect these kind of ones to go on to be race fillies. She is very well bred and we thought we would hang on to her. It is so exciting."

By Coolmore's No Nay Never, who is leading the race to be crowned champion two-year-old sire, the unbeaten Midnight Mile is the first winner out of Ruby Tuesday, an 11-year-old daughter of Galileo.

She is trained by Richard Fahey and plans for the filly could take in a Guineas trial at the start of next season.

"Richard has been lucky for us and we try to send him a filly, so we had one in Ballydoyle and sent this filly to Richard," remarked Richard Henry. "I would not interfere in what Richard decides to do, you do not tell the captain how to fly the plane. She got checked at a vital stage today and I thought she was in real trouble, so to come out of that she's a good one."

Kirsten Rausing with Alpinista, who is from the same Lanwades family as Midnight MileCredit: Edward Whitaker

As is her sire No Nay Never of whom Henry said: "What he's done this season is very exciting."

He was attending the races after a a hectic few days at Book 1 and he reflected briefly on the astonishing trade.

"I've never seen anything like the sales this week, they were incredible. Kentucky was strong, Goffs was too and it will transfer to Book 2."

Ruby Tuesday is a three-parts sister to Jude's Group 1-winning daughters Quarter Moon and Yesterday. The pair of Sadler's Wells full-sisters won the Moyglare Stud Stakes and 1,000 Guineas respectively for the Henrys and Aidan O'Brien.

Quarter Moon has become a broodmare of note herself as the dam of four black type winners headed by Diamondsandrubies, a daughter of Fastnet Rock who won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. You'll Be Mine, who was third in the Fillies' Mile, is the dam of Craven Stakes and Prix Guillaume d'Ornano winner Eminent by Frankel.

Richard (left) and Roisin Henry (right) with Diamondsandrubies after her Group 1 winCredit: Caroline Norris

Jude produced seven winners from nine runners with five stakes performers by Sadler's Wells; in addition to Quarter Moon and Yesterday, she is also the dam of All My Loving, who was second in the Ribblesdale and Park Hill Stakes and is the dam of dual Royal Ascot winner Thomas Chippendale, while Hold Me Love Me and Magicalmysterytour were stakes-placed.

She also foaled the Group 3 Noblesse Stakes and Listed Cheshire Oaks second Betterbetterbetter by Galileo as well as the unraced Loveisallyouneed, the dam of Grade 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes winner and young sire Demarchelier by Dubawi.

It is an extraordinary family which also includes Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista.

Jude was bred by Kirsten Rausing and Sonia Rogers out of Alruccaba, which makes her a full-sister to the Listed Oyster Stakes winner Alouette. She is the dam of Champion and Nassau Stakes winner Alborada and triple Group 1 winner Albanova, both by Alzao.

Albanova's offspring include the Listed Silbernes Band winner Alwilda by Hernando, who is the dam of Alpinista. Another daughter of Albanova, the triple Listed winner All At Sea by Sea The Stars, is the dam of this season's St Leger and Queen's Vase winner Eldar Eldarov.

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