First-Season Sires In The Spotlight: Ireland

CAMELOT (GB), 2009, Coolmore
Montjeu (Ire)–Tarfah (Kingmambo)

 The horse who was so nearly the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years went unbeaten from his July debut at two right through to his narrow defeat in the St Leger, cramming into those 14 months Group 1 victories in the Racing Post Trophy, 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Irish Derby.

Camelot underwent colic surgery just days after his first unplaced run, when seventh in the Arc, and returned the following May to win the G3 Mooresbridge S. He ran only twice more at four, finishing second to Al Kazeem (GB) in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and fourth behind him in the G1 Prince Of Wales's S.

An elegant individual very much in the mould of his sire Montjeu, Camelot appears to have imparted that presence to his offspring, who found widespread favour at the yearling sales. Whether or not he has also imbued them with his ability remains to be seen but he won't lack opportunity to prove himself, even though his chances for that are more likely to come later this season and beyond.

Among his 151 2-year-olds, eight of which are thus far listed as in training with Aidan O'Brien, are siblings to Fame And Glory (GB) and the 22-time Grade 1-winning hurdler Hurricane Fly (Ire)––both of whom are by Montjeu––as well as top-class juvenile Dabirsim (FR) and Irish Oaks winner Bracelet (Ire). Twenty-nine hold entries for next year's Derby.

DAWN APPROACH (IRE), 2010, Darley, Kildangan Stud
New Approach (Ire)—Hymn Of The Dawn (Phone Trick)

Jim Bolger's masterplan to make the bloodstock world sit up and pay attention to New Approach in his first season with runners probably went something along the lines of 'win the first juvenile race of the season with one of his offspring who will then emulate his sire by remaining unbeaten all year to become European champion 2-year-old'. If that was indeed the case, it was a job well done.

Dawn Approach went one better than his sire by winning the 2,000 Guineas but the question of whether he would see out the Derby trip went unanswered as he fly-leaped his way through the first few furlongs and ultimately tailed off to finish last. Never tried beyond a mile again, he was back on song when eyeballing Toronado (Ire) out of victory in the G1 St James's Palace S. before narrowly succumbing to that rival in a G1 Sussex S. rematch.

Bolger is listed as breeder or co-breeder of eight of the 113 Dawn Approach 2-year-olds, including Come At Dawn (Ire), a half-sister to dual Listed winner Paene Magnus (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Other well-related individuals include Vlatka (Ire), a half-sister to Sunday's G3 Prix Sigy winner Fas (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Ire}), Tawheed, a half-brother to Makfi (GB) in training with Roger Varian, and Fajjaj (Ire), a colt out of a half-sister to Kingman (GB) with Hugo Palmer.

Dawn Approach's most expensive yearling was a bold 180,000gns to 275,000gns foal-to-yearling pinook by Philipp Stauffenberg. That colt is now named Nahham (Ire) and is being trained by Richard Hannon for Al Shaqab Racing.

EPAULETTE (AUS), 2009, Darley, Kildangan Stud
Commands (Aus)—Accessories (GB) (Singspiel {Ire})

Epaulette is in the dangerous territory of being expected by many to make a similarly explosive start to his stud career as his half-brother Helmet (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Both brothers are by Danehill stallions who have been champions in Australia. though, during his short stint as a shuttle stallion, Commands never clicked with the European broodmare band to the same degree as Exceed And Excel.

Helmet had the edge as a racehorse but Epaulette was no slouch. Runner-up in the G2 Todman S. after winning twice at two, he claimed two Group 1 wins at three, both over 1400m, finished second to Black Caviar (Aus) in the 1200m G1 TJ Smith S., and was third in a strong renewal of the G1 Caulfield Guineas behind All Too Hard (Aus) and Pierro (Aus).

His first foals were popular with pinhookers and 87 of his yearlings went through the ring for an average of 30,584gns, with a filly now named Verve (Ire) and in Hugo Palmer's stable topping the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale at €150,000. Of the 102 juveniles who could do battle for him this year, two have already faced the starter, with Fas Le Fios (Ire) entered to run again at Newcastle on Friday. Five 2-year-olds will go under the hammer today at the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale.

MOST IMPROVED (Ire), 2009, Coolmore
Lawman (Fr)—Tonnara (Ire) (Linamix {Fr})

Third to Parish Hall (Ire) in the G1 Dewhurst S. after winning a Newmarket maiden at two, the highlight of Most Improved's Classic season was winning the G1 St James's Palace S., but the half-brother to dual Group/Grade 1 winner Ectot (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who switched from Brian Meehan's yard to Ballydoyle for two runs at four, could never quite recapture that form.

Fifty-two of his yearlings were sold for an average of 15,845gns and he potentially has 71 to run for him this year, including a half-sister to the Listed-placed Sagaciously (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) who has followed her sibling to Ed Dunlop's stable.

Mocklershill, which supplied the top lot at last week's Ascot Breeze-up, offers a Most Improved colt at the Goffs UK sale today (lot 43).

RED JAZZ, 2007, Ballyhane Stud
Johannesburg—Now That's Jazz (Sword Dance)

Sharing his sire with the late but hugely successful Scat Daddy can't have hurt Red Jazz's profile in the eyes of commercial breeders. He ran 32 times over five seasons, winning on debut at two as early as April 6 and later that season finishing third in the G2 July S. Victory in the European Free Handicap the following spring gave Red Jazz his first stakes success and he went on to finish third to Poet's Voice (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. before claiming a Group win of his own in the G2 Challenge S. at Newmarket over seven furlongs.

Of his 101 2-year-olds, 77 went through the ring as yearlings, with Angus Gold securing the most expensive––a colt named Mutanaaseq (Ire) in training with Richard Hannon––for 125,000gns on behalf of Shadwell.

We'll start to see today how he fares in the breeze-up market as five are offered for sale at Doncaster.

SOCIETY ROCK (IRE), 2007, Tally-Ho Stud (died in 2016)
Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)—High Society (Ire) (Key Of Luck)

We've already had a glimpse of Society Rock's promise as a sire, with two of his first four runners having won and another being placed to make him the current leading freshman. Any success this year will be bittersweet as the near-black sprinter was lost to laminitis last May at the age of only nine.

He won twice at two himself without setting the racing world highlight, and started to creep into the wider consciousness with a Listed win at three, coaxed patiently by his trainer James Fanshawe. That patience was rewarded when, at four, Society Rock won the G1 Golden Jubilee S. and was second to Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. He landed another big prize the following year when holding off Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}) in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and, kept in training at six, ran only three times for victory in the G2 Duke Of York S. and runner-up finishes to Lethal Force (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the Golden Jubilee and the G1 July Cup.

Society Rock wasn't a particularly imposing individual but plenty of his yearlings looked strong and racy, the 103 sold returning an average of 28,342gns. There are eight chances today to buy one of his juveniles at Doncaster, including the Tally-Ho Stud-consigned half-sister to Ardad (Ire) (Kodiac {Ire}) (lot 20), who was the joint-top price at last year's sale and went on to win the Listed Windsor Castle S. and G2 Flying Childers S.

TOUGH AS NAILS (Ire), 2009, Old Meadow Stud
Dark Angel (Ire)—Soreze (Ire) (Gallic League {GB})

Tough As Nails had the distinction of being the first runner for his now hugely popular sire Dark Angel and he passed the post in front on his March debut only to lose the race in the stewards' room. He atoned by winning and keeping the race less than a month later and, though that was his final victory, he posted decent performances in defeat, finishing second in the G2 Railway S. and third in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. during a busy juvenile campaign. He was seen out just twice at three and later retired to Declan Weld's Old Meadow Stud for a fee of €3,000, covering 29 mares in his debut season.

Of his 14 registered 2-year-olds, My Silver Nails (Ire) has been ready to run as early as his sire and has already made two starts for Michael Mulvany. Keith Dalgleish trains Weatherbys Super Sprint entry Tough Remedy (Ire).

WORTHADD (Ire), 2007, Irish National Stud
Dubawi (Ire)—Wigman (Rahy)

In theory, it helps a stallion's chances if he has a decent number of first-crop representatives, but there have been plenty of examples of early recognition being short-lived and a number of others where a stallion has outperformed the opportunity afforded him.

That will certainly be the Irish National Stud's hope for Worthadd, who has only 19 first-crop 2-year-olds. However, he has already had a breakthrough by supplying the top lot at last week's Ascot Breeze-up Sale with a £130,000 colt out of Malayan Mist (Ire), who has joined the stable of John Quinn for Al Shaqab Racing. Mayfield Stables offers another of his colts, out of the juvenile winner Matula (Ire) (Halling), as lot 47 at Goffs UK's breeze-up today, while a pair of his fillies have already made their way to the Newmarket stables of Charlie McBride and Tom Clover.

Worthadd himself spent some time in Newmarket within a stone's throw of those two yards at Sir Mark Prescott's Heath House, but only after earning a lofty reputation in Italy, where he won eight races for Vittorio Caruso. They included the G2 Derby Italiano and another pair of Group 2 contests over a mile. He later won the G3 Badener Meile after switching to Prescott.

Worthadd covered a bigger book of 41 mares in 2016, up from 27 in 2014 and 16 in 2015.