TDN RISING STARS

May 5, 2019 - Newmarket, Race 5, Msw, GBP £12,000, 5.0F, .0000

Threat (Ire), c, 2, 2017 by Footstepsinthesand (GB)

1st Dam: Flare of Firelight, by Birdstone
2nd Dam: Shiva (Jpn), by Hector Protector
3rd Dam: Lingerie (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)

Owner: Cheveley Park Stud
Breeder: La Lumiere Partnership (Ire)
Trainer: Richard Hannon

All eyes were on Electrical Storm (GB)(Dubawi {Ire}) ahead of Sunday’s Hot Streak Maiden S. over five furlongs of Newemarket’s Rowley Mile course, but Godolphin’s half-brother to Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) met a rival of significant substance in Cheveley Park Stud’s Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). In reality always galloping all over his rivals, one of which in Spanish Angel (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) opted to lead him for a furlong or so, the chestnut who traded at 10-1 was taking control with two furlongs remaining as Electrical Storm began to come on strong from behind. Driven on by the presence of that 2-5 favourite, Threat responded to Tom Marquand’s urgings to extend uphill and score with authority by 2 1/4 lengths, with Godolphin’s other runner Path of Thunder (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), a 375,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up graduate, 3 1/4 lengths back in third.
“He’s got his quirks–I had to get on him in the pre-parade ring, but hopefully that run will take the edge off him,� his rider said. “Once he’s moving he’s alright, its probably that he just finds everything so easy at home and we haven’t really taken the sting out of him with a hard piece of work yet. Six furlongs will be right up his street and he can only go forward from this run. He’s comfortable on that ground and I’d say he’ll prove to be fairly versatile on what we’ve seen at home.�
Trainer Richard Hannon was making no secret of his regard for the 100,000gns Tattersalls December Foal purchase. “Is he a Coventry horse? Absolutely,� he said, referring to the ever-coveted G2 Royal Ascot prize June 18. “We loved him at home and I didn’t really want to run him over five, but when they work like he has you’ve got to do something. He’s a proper horse, no question about it. A very nice colt who could be anything and can only get better. He’s a big boy and I wanted to wait for six, but he’s just so naturally talented I had to run.�
Threat’s speed is surprising given his pedigree, being out of a Niarchos mare Flare of Firelight (Birdstone) who raced three times between a mile and 9 1/2 furlongs and is a half to the listed-winning That Which Is Not (Elusive Quality) who was also runner-up in the 2017 G2 Prix Corrida over 10 1/2 furlongs. They are out of the former Warren Place flag-bearer Shiva (Jpn) (Hector Protector), who upstaged Daylami (Ire) in the 1999 G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup as well as placing in the G1 Champion S. and G1 Eclipse S. Her half-sister Light Shift (Kingmambo) captured the 2007 G1 Epsom Oaks for Sir Henry Cecil before producing the G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Eclipse S. hero Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who stands at Cheveley Park Stud.
Shiva is also a full-sister to the group-winning sire Limnos (Jpn), who was at his best over a mile and a half, while the third dam Lingerie (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) also boasts among her descendants the multiple grade one winner Main Sequence (Aldebaran), further underlining the middle-distance bent of this family. Flare of Firelight also has a yearling filly by Slade Power (Ire).