Time Test first foals include half-brothers to Logician and Star Catcher

He may have retired from racing two years ago, and he may presently be on the other side of the world in New Zealand, but Time Test came out of last weekend's Group 1 action in Europe with his profile considerably enhanced.

By happy coincidence, the first northern hemisphere crop of foals by the son of Dubawi contains half-brothers to Logician, who announced himself a potential superstar with a decisive victory in the St Leger, and Irish Oaks heroine Star Catcher, who notched an all-the-way success in the Prix Vermeille.

The colts out of Scuffle, a Listed-placed daughter of Daylami who is the dam of Logician as well as US Grade 3 scorer Suffused, and Lynnwood Chase, a Horse Chestnut mare who has produced three Royal Ascot winners including Star Catcher, are among 71 foals resulting from Time Test's first season standing at the National Stud in Newmarket registered with Weatherbys.

“It was an amazing weekend,” said National Stud director Tim Lane. “There's obviously a long way to go before the Time Test foals get to the track, but for him to potentially be going to war with two half-brothers to Classic winners in his first crop is very exciting indeed.”

As Lane pointed out, the occurrence is not quite an inexplicable twist of fate; rather, it is the result of the Juddmonte-bred stallion enjoying the patronage of a number of leading breeders.

“Juddmonte have sent him some high-calibre mares and the likes of Anthony Oppenheimer, George Strawbridge and the Bamford and Niarchos families also stepped in to support him, which pays the horse a huge compliment,” he said.

Time Test's first crop also includes a half-sister to Royal Ascot winner Rhythm Of Light out of the winning Danehill mare Luminda and a filly out of the high-class sprinter Night Carnation, a daughter of Sleeping Indian.

Another eye-catcher among the cohort is the half-sister to multiple Group/Grade 1 winners Laughing and Viva Pataca bred by the late Duke of Roxburghe's Floors Stud. The Duke, who was chairman of the National Stud, played an instrumental role in securing Time Test for the operation's roster.

Lane is confident the stallion will reward his supporters, starting at the foal sales later this year.

“They'll sell well,” he asserted. “They're all bay, good models with sound minds. They're like the Dubawis; they show a bit of boldness when they're out in their paddock but they're very kind horses, laid back and easy to deal with.

“We'll be selling some that we've bred ourselves at the National Stud but we've also secured a budget to buy some, as we're keen to support the stallion.”

Time Test covered another 93 mares at the National Stud this year and Lane reported that the horse is currently serving a book of 114 mares at Little Avondale Stud in the Wairapa Valley in his New Zealand shuttling role.

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