Stellar mares for St Mark’s Basilica
European Champion 2YO in 2020 and the joint-highest rated 3YO in the world in 2021, St Mark’s Basilica has attracted probably the best first book of mares by any stallion at Coolmore.
Already in foal are several blacktype winners or producers headed by Australian Group winner Believe‘N’Succeed, dam of Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck and Champion Sprinter in New Zealand Bounding.
Other smart racemares scanned in foal include Gaynor Rupert’s Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes winner Scream Blue Murder (dam of Gleneagles’ Listed winner Too Soon To Panic), North Hill Farm’s well-related Japanese Group winner Blanc Bonheur, Gay O’Callaghan’s Bosra Sham Stakes winner Angelic Light and Stonethorn Stud Farms’ Listed winner and Group performer Drumfad Bay.
Moyglare Stud Farm’s Listed winner Joailliere has already produced a blacktype winner by Siyouni and is now in foal to his best son as is Lynch Bages’ Listed performer Lacily, dam of Group 3 Molecomb Stakes winner Yalta. Knyazhna, owned by Ecurie Des Monceaux and dam of multiple Group winner Sacred Life has recently been scanned in foal, along with Listed winner Twitch, whose Magna Grecia colt foal sold for 210,000gns at Tattersalls December and Chrissycross, dam of Group 2 Greenlands Stakes winner Gustavus Weston.
Those currently holding service include Ecurie des Monceaux’s Prudenzia, dam of a pair of Group 1 winners in Chicquita and Magic Wand. “He’s a really exciting young stallion and one we have a lot of faith in,” said Monceaux’s Henri Bozo in a recent Racing Post interview.
Other proven producers holding service include the dams of Group 1 Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes winner Fancy Blue, Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Beethoven, Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and Sussex Stakes winner The Gurkha, Group 2 Prix Greffulhe winner Roman Candle along with other Group winners Who’s Steph and Making Light.
Also holding service are Northern Farm’s triple Group 1 winner in Argentina Carta Embrujada, W & R Barnett Ltd’s Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Mot Juste and Churchtown Bloodstock’s Lady Wannabe.
Amongst the star mares in his book yet to be covered are The Queen’s European Champion Stayer Estimate, the Niarchos Family’s Matron Stakes winner Fiesolana, Jean Louis Bouchard’s Prix Marcel Boussac winner Tiger Tanaka, Merry Fox Stud’s Moyglare and Albany Stakes winner Cursory Glance, Toji Morita’s Nassau Stakes winner Deirdre and Littleton Stud’s Juddmonte International Stakes heroine Arabian Queen along with the Wertheimer Brothers’ Champion 2-Year-Old Safari Queen, herself the dam of Group 1 Prix St Alary winner Queen’s Jewel.
Juddmonte Farms are sending him a pair of Group 1 winners namely Falmouth Stakes winner Timepiece and the brilliant Midday who won no less than six races at the highest level and is already dam of a pair of blacktype winners.
Two other top class racemares and producers on the list are Northern Farms’ Grade 1 winner and Group 1 producer Stacelita along with Ashbrittle Stud’s Oaks winner Talent, dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet runner-up Ambition.
Susan Hearn of Mascells Stud is sending him her blue hen mare Reckoning, dam of Subjectivist and Sir Ron Priestley, while Aliette Forien is sending Shamiyra, dam of HH Aga Khan’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Shakeel.
Watership Down Stud are sending Fughetta, a daughter of their Champion The Fugue and Manager Simon Marsh commented “We don’t normally use unproven sires, obviously with the exception of Too Darn Hot, but I would be a big believer in St Mark’s Basilica. He was a top-class racehorse out of an exceptional mare and he’s a half-brother to an extremely good horse. He ticks an awful lot of boxes, while he’s by a very good stallion in Siyouni.”
Other Group or Grade 1 producers include Charlie Nelson’s Path of Peace, dam of Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Belvoir Bay, Recambe dam of the brilliant Laurens, Kirsten Rausing’s Here To Eternity, dam of Hong Kong Group 1 winners Time Warp and Glorious Forever, China Horse Club’s Beatrix Potter, dam of Champion Sprinter Harry Angel and Mill Reef Stakes winner Pierre Lapin, Oceanic Bloodstock’s Motivation, dam of Joe Hirsch Turf Classic winner Rock Emperor and finally Night Visit, dam of Irish Derby winner Trading Leather.
by Coolmore
Balco Coastal Paddy Power Imperial Cup, Sandown, Saturday 1pt win at 9-1 with Coral and Ladbrokes, 8-1 generally I’m convinced Balco Coastal is well handicapped and it is surely significant that he is Nicky Henderson’s sole entry in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown (2.25) on Saturday.
Second in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham in January, Balco Coastal’s form was franked by the winner North Lodge going on to finish a short-head second under a penalty in another Grade 2 at Kelso last weekend.
Balco Coastal travelled like the best horse in the contest at Cheltenham but didn’t see out the 2m4½f trip. The six-year-old strikes me as a type who will be best suited by a strong pace over 2m, so the Imperial Cup looks an ideal race.
He was described as having “bags of speed” by his trainer in a Racing Post stable tour at the beginning of the season and I wonder if Henderson was trying to put a square peg in a round hole by avoiding his stablemates Constitution Hill and Jonbon over 2m.
His opening mark of 134 could prove to be a huge underestimation of his ability and I could see him going off at half the 9-1 available on the day.
The trainer has saddled placed horses in three of the last four runnings, the exception being last season when he didn’t have a runner, so I’ll tread carefully by playing Balco Coastal win-only.
He did miss an engagement at Kelso last week, although that may be in part down to Buveur D’Air being the yard’s number one there.
A juicy bonus is up for grabs if a horse is able to land the Imperial Cup and follow up at Cheltenham, so the temptation might prove irresistible for connections to target this before an audacious tilt at the County Hurdle six days later.
Last year’s winner Langer Dan almost did the Sandown-Cheltenham double last season.
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