The Tin Man gives his Book 1-bound half-brother a boost

The Tin Man, a flagbearer for Newsells Park Stud stallion Equiano, landed a third Group 1 success with a smooth victory in the 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday – and gave his sales-bound yearling half-brother a boost in the process.

The James Fanshawe-trained six-year-old gelding has now won nine of his 20 starts, with his previous top-level triumphs coming in the British Champions Sprint in 2016 and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes last year.

The Tin Man has another five top-four finishes in elite sprints to his name, including when second to Quiet Reflection in the Sprint Cup two years ago and a decent third to Polydream in the Prix Maurice de Gheest on his most recent start last month.

He is one of 23 stakes performers by Equiano, a son of the increasingly influential Acclamation who stood at Newsells Park at a fee of £8,000 this year.

Equiano's other best progeny include Strath Burn, a short-head second to Twilight Son in the Sprint Cup in 2015, and Group/Grade 2 scorers Belvoir Bay and Medicine Jack.

It was a memorable day for Newsells Park's stallion band, as earlier the brilliant Enable – a four-year-old daughter of Equiano's studmate Nathaniel – made her first start since winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last October a winning one by easily accounting for the high-class Crystal Ocean in the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton.

The good news for Newsells Park keeps coming, as it consigns the Muhaarar half-brother to The Tin Man to Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale next month on behalf of Elizabeth Grundy, who with her family and associates is responsible for breeding The Tin Man and his siblings from the winning Bishop Of Cashel mare Persario.

“He's as good-looking a horse as the dam has produced,” reported the stud's general manager Julian Dollar of the yearling. “She's not the biggest mare and the Muhaarar colt is typically neat and very well balanced.

“He's by a highly exciting young stallion and the mare has been amazing for the Grundys – one of those who just produces one proper racehorse after another.”

The Tin Man himself was a member of the first crop of Equiano and was bought into by Newsells Park before the stud consigned him to Book 1 in 2013, where he sold to Anthony Stroud for 80,000gns.

Dollar's admiration for Persario is not misplaced. The 19-year-old, a dual winner over six and seven furlongs for Fanshawe in her own racing career, has produced six winners from seven runners and the odd-one-out, her two-year-old Poet's Voice colt Global Warning, looks a winner in waiting after finishing third and second on his first two starts for Ed Dunlop this summer.

Besides The Tin Man she has produced another British Champions Sprint hero in Deacon Blues (by Compton Place), as well as the Listed-placed Holley Shiftwell (Bahamian Bounty). It is an in-form family, too, as her three-year-old filly by Sepoy, Indian Tygress, carried Grundy's silks to victory in a sprint handicap at Kempton on Friday.

Persario – a three-parts sister to Group 3 winner and Lockinge runner-up Warningford – produced a full-sister to The Tin Man in May and is back in foal to Equiano.

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like...

Quality over quantity in 2018 as Newsells Park restructures its herd

Lightning Spear whets appetite for Newsells Park's next Book 1 draft

Perfect start for Dubawi colt bought for 2.6m gns at Book 1