Sir Prancealot signals arrival in California with first Grade 1 winner

Breeders in California will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sir Prancealot at Rancho San Miguel for the 2020 breeding season after the son of Tamayuz supplied his first top-flight winner when Lady Prancealot struck in the American Oaks at Santa Anita on Saturday.

The winner was given a masterclass ride by Joe Bravo up the inside rail to lead close home and is one of three US Graded turf winners by her sire along with Beau Recall and Madam Dancealot.

The three-year-old filly was bred in Ireland by Tally-Ho Stud, whose other graduates Desert Encounter and Fairyland also struck at the highest level this year, and was bought as a yearling for €9,500 by Eoghan T O'Neill a the 2017 Tattersalls Ireland September Sale.

Lady Prancealot shares her granddam with Almaanar, a British-bred son of Dubawi who struck in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in 2017.

Lady Prancealot ran five times over the minimum trip as a juvenile in Britain for trainer David Evans, and was fourth to Kodyanna in the Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley, before being acquired in a private deal by Meah Lloyd Bloodstock to bring her to the US, where she entered the stable of her current trainer Richard Baltas.

Stepped up in trip to a mile and further, Lady Prancealot had three more juvenile starts finishing second twice in Listed company. She has displayed remarkable improvement during her three-year-old campaign, with wins in the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes and Grade 3 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes preceding her biggest win to date on Saturday.

- who shares his sire with this year's Lockinge Stakes scorer Mustashry - showed plenty of talent as a juvenile having struck in the Flying Childers Stakes and National Stakes at Sandown, before he was retired to stand at Tally-Ho Stud.

The 32 winners from his debut crop was enough to see him crowned leading freshman sire in Europe in 2016, while he also supplied two stakes scorers that same season in Sir Dancealot and Madam Dancealot.

Sir Prancealot relocated to Cornerstone Stud in 2017 and covered books of 62 and 110 mares in his first two seasons in South Australia.

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