‘She’s the first filly for the farm’ - Acheson launches Kilnagornan Stud venture with €480,000 daughter of Sea The Stars

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A new name appeared among the buyers when Kilnagornan Stud signed for a well-bred daughter of Sea The Stars from Haras de le Cour Blanche at €480,000. Although the Kilnagornan brand may be unfamiliar to many, the people involved are already well established in the industry.

Back in March, it was revealed the Acheson family, who have enjoyed huge success in the National Hunt world racing the likes of Bob Olinger, Gerri Colombe and Teahupoo under the Robcour banner, had purchased Eimear Mulhern’s Abbeville Stud.

The running of the rebranded County Kildare operation is now being overseen by Rob Acheson, son of Robcour supremo Brian. Bloodstock agent Mags O’Toole revealed the six-figure recruit was the first step towards restocking the stud.

“She’s been bought for Kilnagornan Stud, which is Rob Acheson’s new stud in Kildare,” said O’Toole, who was accompanied in Deauville by Acheson snr. “She’s the first filly for the farm. We had very strong competition from all the right people and we’re the lucky ones who managed to get her.”

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The filly is a half-sister to four winners, including Mr Hollywood, who landed the Group 3 Bavarian Classic at three before later joining Willie Mullins. The son of Iquitos also finished runner-up in two Group 1s, namely the German Derby and Grosser Preis von Baden, and was third in this year’s Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was last seen winning a Galway maiden hurdle.

The Sea The Stars filly is also a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Magical Beat and Wathnan Racing’s A La Prochaine, who ran fourth to Thundering On in this year’s Oaks.

Brian Acheson and Mags O’Toole sign for Cour Blanche's Sea The Stars fillyCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

The Acheson family have enjoyed enormous success with trainers Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead, but O’Toole said plans remain up in the air regarding the burgeoning Kilnagornan Stud string. She said: “It’s to be decided where she’ll go into training, but there’s a chance she could stay here given all the premiums on offer.

“You’d hope she’ll be good enough to be one of the first mares who retires to the stud after her racing career. Hopefully we might get a couple more fillies throughout the year to get things up and running.”

The Acheson family already has an involvement with this filly’s pedigree, as the dam, Margie's Music, was added to the Ecurie des Monceaux broodmare band at a cost of €1 million last December. Brian Acheson expanded his thoroughbred interests by acquiring a minor stake in the blue-chip breeding operation in July last year.

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