Jackknife brings memories of Defoe to the fore for Varian at Epsom

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

Jackknife

Weatherbys Digital Solutions Novice Stakes (3.55 Epsom, Tuesday)

What's the story?

A first-crop son of Kameko makes his debut at the track where his older half-brother earned his Group 1 triumph.

Sent out by Roger Varian, who trained the aforementioned sibling, Jackknife runs in the colours of Qatar Racing who also raced his Classic-winning sire.

How's he bred?

Bred by the Dulkashe partnership, Jackknife is a half-brother to Coronation Cup victor Defoe, who won nine times over five seasons before his death in a gallops accident at the age of six. The grey son of Dalakhani was trained by Roger Varian for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and was not only a yard favourite but a horse that racegoers took to their hearts.

In addition to his Coronation Cup success, Defoe won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes and Jockey Club Stakes and the John Porter and Geoffrey Freer Stakes, both Group 3 contests.

Defoe was also placed at the highest level in the Grosser Preis von Baden, Grosser Preis von Bayern and the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

He is the best of two winners from four runners to date out of Dulkashe, a winning Pivotal half-sister to the quadruple Listed-placed Akira. She was purchased by David Redvers Bloodstock for 525,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale of 2020 in foal to Churchill. Under the third dam are Grade 1 winner Rock Fall and the European champion older horse Mubtaker.

Some of the Hartpury C of E Primary School students meeting Kameko with David RedversCredit: Racing to School

Jackknife's sire Kameko, who stands at Tweenhills, won the 2,000 Guineas and Futurity Trophy and was the only one of the 2024 first-season sires to produce a top-level winner – Grade 1 Summer Stakes victor New Century.

Who does he face?

Jackknife is one of two newcomers in the field of nine; the other is Jonnie, a three-year-old son of Nathaniel who was bought for 44,000gns as a yearling by Peter and Ross Doyle from Culworth Grounds Farm.

Trained by Jim Boyle, Jonnie is the second foal out of winning Sea The Moon mare Gold whose first foal, a daughter of Magna Grecia won in France at two.

Of those with experience Topteam is from the further family of last week's impressive Craven Stakes winner Field Of Gold and was also bred by Roundhill Stud. The King's Falcon is from the penultimate cohort of horses bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II and was runner-up on his second and final start at two for William Haggas and the King and Queen.

Too Don Juan represents the You Got To Me team of Ralph Beckett and Valmont. The gelded son of Too Darn Hot is out of Floria Tosca, a daughter of Shamardal and champion Islington.

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