Phoenix of Spain ex Aretha filly
Race entries
Sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know and what they may know.
This very strong-looking filly (resembles a colt to some degree) wasn’t quite on our radar at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale. In studying her pedigree ahead of the sale, we decided (marginally) not to include her on our ‘to view’ roster.
However we were blissfully unaware of the esteem that Richard & Peter Fahey hold her 2yo sibling VIRTUOUS STAR, a 240.000Gns Breeze Up purchase earlier in the year - she’s 1 from 1 (a winner on debut) in May, has had a small time off due to a slight setback, however she’s rated very highly at home and is destined for much bigger and better things, were led to believe - she’s already earned a Racing Post rating of 87 on debut (Timeform 89p) and there ought to be plenty more to come.
Richard & Peter Fahey, safe in the knowledge of Virtuous Star’s homework, are in the privileged position of exclusivity - “knowledge is power” as the saying goes. Given the 15,000gns they’ve paid for this daughter of Phoenix of Spain, they’ve probably secured one of the bargains of the sale.
Right place, right time - moments after they’d bought this filly, we just happened to bump into team Fahey and asked the usual question: “Have you bought many, and are any available?” Given they’d just secured this filly moments previously - Lot 187 - she was the first horse they mentioned with the provenance of Virtuous Star that comes with her. It’s fair to say that we snapped their hands off and bought 50% of her straight away. Richard and Peter were keen to keep the other 50% given the potential upside that the provenance and pedigree provide.
Phoenix Of Spain is a sire we love; Caballo De Mar, Haatem, Indalo, and Bobby Bennu are horses we’re very familiar with. He stands at the Irish National Stud, alongside former MPR inmate Shouldvebeenaring, and it’s fair to say the quality of mare that the Acomb and Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Phoenix Of Spain, is now being afforded means he’s a stallion to note in seasons to come. He’s very much underrated in our opinion.
The very likeable and multiple Group winner Haatem, adding the Grade 3 Mint Millions Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs to his resume.
This filly looks a sharp and precocious rocket - she’s out of a MEHMAS mare - from a super-fast family that Richard knows particularly well - PARBOLD (Coventry runner-up), Majestic Miles, Leovanni (Queen Mary winner), to name but three.
She’s all over a Lily Agnes or Marygate or Queen Mary or Super Sprint filly - as best as you could envisage at this early stage, anyway.
Arguably, she’s the bargain of the week, given she’s a case of ‘not what you know, but who you know’, and what they know.
She will, of course, be eligible for next year's Tattersalls Somerville Stakes, where Eddie's Boy finished third, Court Alert second, and Supreme Star 6th in previous years. As well as the ever popular Tattersalls October Auction Stakes, which we have won before with The Dragon King.
