Two young stallions in South Africa, interestingly both by Galileo and out of Pivotal mares, each received another significant boost when their full sisters each took home another UK Gr1 over the weekend.
Gr1 winner The United States, standing at Moutonshoek, saw his sister Hermosa take the Gr1 Irish Guineas to give her the Guineas double, whilst Magical took the Gr1 Gold Cup by 7 lengths, a full sister to international Group horse Flying The Flag, who resides at Bush Hill Stud.
Magical [pictured above], a full sister to Bush Hill Stud’s Flying The Flag, set herself up for a possible trip to Royal Ascot with a dominant display in the Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
A winner on Champions Day at Ascot last season, she then pushed Enable all the way at the Breeders’ Cup.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly won her first two races this season in workmanlike fashion, but she looked a different proposition on this occasion.
Ryan Moore tracked Irish St Leger winner and stablemate Flag Of Honour with the three other runners content to sit some way behind the Ballydoyle duo.
Turning into the straight, it soon became clear nothing in behind was making any inroads and when Moore pulled Magical out to challenge, the race was over.
Without resorting to the whip, Magical quickened clear to win by a comfortable seven lengths as the 2-7 favourite.
O’Brien said: “We are delighted to have her as a four-year-old. She’s a big, powerful mare that is full of quality, with great strength and a super mind. She had done enough last year to go off to stud, so it’s a great credit to all the lads to keep her in training.
“The plan made out was the three races and then see about Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
“There is an autumn campaign and she has to have a break somewhere before maybe the Irish Champion and the Arc. Hopefully she will come out of today well and then we can have a think about Ascot. It’s all stuff to dream about.”
Not only is she a full sister to Flying The Flag, but to champion three-time Gr1 winner Rhododendron, who has been retired to stud at Coolmore.
Flying The Flag has 12 quality yearlings, siblings to multiple winners on offer at the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale, taking place at Sibaya Casino at the beginning of July.
Hermosa, a full sister to Gr1 winners Hydrangea and The United States, made it a Guineas double on the weekend.
Hermosa, the full sister to The United Stakes, swept to victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas to complete a Classic double for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
The 5-2 favourite added to her recent Newmarket success with a four-length win over Michael Bell’s Pretty Pollyanna at the Curragh. Under Ryan Moore, the filly surged clear in the final furlong to give O’Brien his eighth victory in the race.
The win sealed a Group One double for O’Brien and Moore, who also steered Magical to the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Hermosa led by a length entering the closing stages but she easily held off the challenge from Frankie Dettori mount Pretty Pollyanna and then powered clear to win, with Foxtrot Liv finishing in third.
“The plan was changed to come here rather than go to the [French] Oaks, and then go from here to the Prix de Diane in three weeks. I’m so delighted that we did [change plan],” said O’Brien.
“She’s a lovely mare and we felt that she progressed from Newmarket. I think she showed that today. She could go further and her sister [Hydrangea] got a mile and a half. We’ll see how she gets on in France before thinking about that.”
The United States first crop on the ground will be yearlings in August.
