Wonderful week for Maurice Burns as the Rathasker stallions hit red-hot form

It was a week to remember for Maurice Burns as four of the five stallions at his Rathasker Stud in County Kildare were represented by stakes winners.

Elder statesman Clodovil led by example with a Listed winner in Germany, as son Majestic Colt – a half-brother to Sunday's Princess Margaret Stakes fourth Isabella Giles – struck in the Listed Grosser Preis vom Gestüt Ittlingen at Hanover for trainer Andreas Wöhler and owner Jaber Abdullah.

For good measure the 20-year-old son of Danehill, who has compiled a fine progeny record in spite of subfertility, was on the mark with Steel Bull, an impressive winner of a Naas two-year-old maiden for Michael O'Callaghan first time out on Wednesday.

Clodovil's Group 2-winning son and studmate Gregorian, fresh from supplying this month's Summer Stakes winner Queen Jo Jo, delivered his third stakes winner on Sunday when another daughter, Plainchant, took the Listed Criterium de Bequet at La Teste de Buch.

Just like dad, Gregorian also fielded an exciting two-year-old winner in the past week in Fairy Dust, a Tom Clover-trained filly who eased to a two and a quarter-length victory in a Windsor novice auction stakes last Monday.

Bungle Inthejungle was also responsible for a two-year-old stakes winner in France, with Chris Wright's homebred filly Acapulco Gold recording a comfortable success in the Listed Prix des Reves d'Or at Vichy on Thursday.

He was back in the spotlight on Monday when his daughter Winter Power, trained by Tim Easterby for King Power Racing, sauntered to a five-length win in a Redcar nursery, barely having to come off the bridle.

Santosha: a daughter of Rathasker Stud's freshman sire CoulstyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Freshman Coulsty meanwhile provided his first black-type scorer when Santosha stormed to victory in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot on Sunday.

Santosha is one of four winners from Coulsty's first crop of 45 two-year-olds, along with Rathasker homebred Coul Queen, who broke her maiden at Chepstow last Tuesday.

“The last seven days have been amazing,” said Burns. “I'm usually watching the TV saying the jockeys have given the horses we're connected to a bad ride, but I've had absolutely nothing to complain about!

“It's just been boom, boom, boom – one winner after another. Long may it continue!”

Burns reported that the David Evans-trained Coul Queen, in whom he and wife Theresa still own a share, could make her next start in the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood late next month.

“John Egan rang me after he won on her and said she could be a bit better than she showed and she'd eventually improve for a step up to a mile, so we thought the Prestige would be a good stepping stone," he said.

The only one of Rathasker Stud's stallions who did not manage a stakes winner in the past week was Anjaal, but the sophomore son of Bahamian Bounty is far from being a black sheep.

It was only on July 16 that his son Aztec Parade blew away his rivals by ten lengths to win a Leopardstown maiden, and then on Saturday his daughter Sampers Seven made all to win by three lengths in a trappy sprint handicap at York.

Sampers Seven, bred by Horse Racing Ireland chairman Nicky Hartery, has a link to another recent piece of reflected glory for Burns. She is a half-sister to the Power colt Laws Of Indices, the 66-1 winner of the Railway Stakes who was sold by Rathasker Stud at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale.

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