Newcomers out of top racemares set for three-year-old bows at Leopardstown and Doncaster on Sunday

Tender Kiss

Leopardstown: Flat Is Back At Leopardstown Fillies Maiden (2pm Sunday)

The story so far

Tender Kiss makes her much-awaited racecourse bow as the first foal out of the brilliant Nunthorpe and Abbaye winner Marsha and a daughter of the much-missed phenomenon Galileo. 

Sporting the colours of Westerberg, and owned in partnership with the Coolmore team, the three-year-old holds an entry in the Irish Oaks this summer.

How is she bred?

By Galileo, Tender Kiss is out of Marsha, a daughter of Acclamation who won seven times for Sir Mark Prescott and the Elite Racing Club, including the Abbaye in 2016 and the Nunthorpe the following season, edging out Lady Aurelia in a pulsating finish to York's showpiece sprint. 

Marsha: smashed the European auction record for a broodmare when selling for 6,000,000gns to MV MagnierCredit: Laura Green / Tattersalls

Marsha, a daughter of Marlinka from the family of Soviet Song and therefore a half-sister to black type-winning sprinter Judicial, sold to MV Magnier for a European record price of 6,000,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2017. The now ten-year-old has a yearling filly by Frankel and returned to Juddmonte's champion sire last season. 

Who does she have to contend with?

The Aidan O'Brien-trained filly is set to face 11 rivals, assuming the racecourse passes its 7am inspection on Sunday morning. Among them is her once-raced stablemate Warm Heart, a daughter of Galileo out of the Australian Group 1 winner Sea Siren, by Fastnet Rock. Ryan Moore's mount is a full-sister to the winning and Group-placed Celestial Object. Wayne Lordan rides Tender Kiss.

Other notables in the mile event include the Niarchos family's debutante second Bold As Love, by Deep Impact and out of a Listed-placed Galileo half-sister to top-flight winner Bago from the family of Maxios, and Kitty McFee, a daughter of Lope De Vega who looks another likely sort hailing from the family of the great Attraction.

Others to note on the other side of the Irish Sea

Prince Faisal's famous maroon silks have been worn to big-race successes by the likes of Mishriff in recent times - not to mention Rafha and Invincible Spirit among others - and Frankel colt Theoryofeverything is a fascinating newcomer in the Made In Doncaster St Leger Novice Stakes (2.45).

Persuasive's second foal makes his racecourse bowCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Cheveley Park Stud-bred three-year-old is the second foal out of Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Persuasive, and a full-brother to the useful Persist, who remains in training with William Haggas this year in search of some black type. 

Her year-younger sibling sold to Prince Faisal's Nawara Stud for 325,000gns as a yearling from Tattersalls Book 1. 

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