This nap hand of newcomers should be enough to wake any pedigree buff from their summer slumber

The chances of a summer Thursday featuring Newbury, Nottingham, Yarmouth and Leopardstown not turning up a notable newcomer was always slim, and for the second week in succession there are any number of such youngsters dotted around Britain and Ireland.

The pick are probably at Newbury and Leopardstown, though the other two tracks are worth a look too.

In the second race at Newbury, the 61/2f novice (2.20), Godolphin introduce a juvenile son of New Bay acquired for 525,000gns at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale in April.

Consigned there by Katie Walsh’s Greenhills Farm, the Godolphin buying team liked what they saw of the already-named Anno Domini, out of Galileo’s daughter Alegra.

Walsh told colleague James Thomas: “His pedigree suggests he wants a mile or a mile and two, but to ride he feels like he’d win over six furlongs. He seems to have it all.” 

The day after Anno Domini had sold, his half-sister Kathmandu, by Showcasing, finished third in the Nell Gwyn Stakes up the road at the Rowley Mile  and she went perilously close to Classic glory last month, beaten just a head by Rouhiya in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.

The mare has also bred the Listed winners Pythagorus, by Zoffany, and Blue Gardenia, by Mastercraftsman.

Anno Domini, who was bred by exors of the late Sir Robert Ogden, is trained by Charlie Appleby and is the mount of William Buick on his debut.

Another head-turning newcomer on the same card, in the mile fillies’ novice event (4.00), is Fior Di Bosco, a William Haggas-trained half-sister to a Classic winner, no less, being out of the late Galicuix, whose masterpiece so far is 2016 2,000 Guineas hero Galileo Gold, also winner that year of the St James’s Palace Stakes. He is now ensconced at Haras de Bouquetot.

Galileo Gold lands the St James's Palace Stakes under Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot - his half-sister debuts at NewburyCredit: Charlie Crowhurst

Galicuix, who was snapped up for just 8,000gns by Pantile Stud on the third and final occasion she walked the ring at Tattersalls’ Park Paddocks base, is the dam of seven winners from seven runners. They also include the Listed-placed Akhu Naija, the son of Kingman who in the same ring fetched a rather more princely 2,700,000gns.

Three-year-old Fior Di Bosco was also bought at Book 1, in her case for 240,000gns by Rabbah Bloodstock, and she duly starts out in the silks of Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum. She is by Too Darn Hot.

Moving on to the evening cards, the juvenile fillies’ maiden at Leopardstown (4.45) features the second runner out of the great Alpha Centauri, the four-time Group 1 winner and Classic heroine who last year sold for €6,000,000 at Goffs to MV Magnier.

Her first runner, Saturn, scored for the third time at the Curragh just last week, and her second is likewise a Niarchos family homebred. Proxima Centauri is by the Niarchos family’s three-time Group 1 winner Circus Maximus, and will be ridden by Shane Foley.

Alpha Centauri sells for €6,000,000 at Goffs - her daughter by Circus Maximus starts out at LeopardstownCredit: Goffs

Five of her rivals are also making their debut, notably Rip Van Winkle’s close relative Now.

The Donnacha O’Brien-trained Coolmore filly is another by Circus Maximus, and she is out of Stravinsky’s daughter Looking Back, who produced the three-time Group 1 winner turned sire Rip Van Winkle to Circus Maximus’s sire Galileo.

The mare produced another classy performer who went on to be a stallion, the Group 3 winner Le Vie Infinite, by Le Vie Dei Colori.

As for Lucky Melody (5.20 Leopardstown), being owned by Zhang Yuesheng and trained by Harrington, you will not be surprised to learn that she is related to Lucky Vega, the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner who is now standing at the Irish National Stud.

His studmate, Phoenix Of Spain, the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, is the sire of Lucky Melody, the three-year-old filly out of Queen Of Carthage, who also produced three-time winner Lady Clair. The newcomer was bought by BBA Ireland and Yulong for €195,000 as a foal at Goffs.

She starts out over seven furlongs in possibly not the deepest maiden and, with Foley, on board, might be expected to be in the frame. Colleague Aisling Crowe passes on that she won her barrier trial at Naas recently, and is a fine, big filly.

Goffs London Sale

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