Breeders' Notebook: Newmarket

That's the ticket. Some black-type action on the Rowley Mile and the scent of Classics on the wind. 

It's pleasing to report that there were plenty of happy breeders at the racecourse on Wednesday, perhaps none more so than Graham Smith-Bernal and Craig Bennett of Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud respectively, who were clearly delighted at the impressive return of the paint-splodged Damysus (Frankel) in the G3 Earl of Sefton Stakes. A return to Group 1 company for Wathnan Racing's colt is plainly on the radar now.

Julian Dollar reported that Damysus's dam, the Rahy mare Legerete, is in rude health at the age of 22 and, with a yearling colt and colt foal by Nathaniel on the ground, she is set for a repeat visit to Newsells Park Stud's excellent son of Galileo before long. 

It was a day for bonny chestnuts, and Damysus had followed into the winner's circle the strong and compact Morshdi (Dubawi), who had featured in these pages a few weeks back when we reported that Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's G1 Derby Italiano winner of the same name is still enjoying a luxurious retirement at Jebel Ali.

The new Morshdi, trained by William Haggas, looked a worthy namesake as he gathered himself and shot clear of his rivals in windy conditions on Newmarket Heath. The Dee Stakes at Chester may be next for Sheikh Ahmed's homebred, whose dam Into The Mystic (Galileo) was bought for the breeder at the Keeneland November Sale by Joseph Burke and has already produced the G2 Park Hill Fillies' Stakes winner Nakheel, a full-sister to Morshdi.

Tompkins Strikes Again

Mark Tompkins is making something of a habit of breeding Classic prospects. Two years ago it was You Got To Me (Nathaniel), who won the Lingfield Oaks Trial before running fourth in the Oaks and then winning the Irish Oaks. Now along comes Azleet.

The daughter of Tasleet, who pulled off a 50/1 surprise in the G3 Lanwades Nell Gwyn Stakes, was bred in partnership by the former trainer under his Dullingham Park Stud banner with David Noblett, a long-term owner-breeder based in Scotland.

“She just gets a little bit excited, but we're getting better,” Tompkins said of Azleet, whose 21-year-old dam Azure Mist (Bahamian Bounty) he trained to two seven-furlong victories at Yarmouth and Wolverhampton in the colours of Noblett. 

“She's the last foal of that mare that we've had,” he added. “David Noblett is from Scotland, so he doesn't really come down too much, but he was an old friend of mine for years, and when I retired we just kept going with a few, and I've always loved this fellow right from being a foal.”

He continued, “David's wife has not been very well so he's not here, but he'll be so excited, I tell you. We've done really well over the years for him.”

Richard Frisby, Stuart Williams, Mark Tompkins and Marco Ghiani | Emma Berry

Asked about giving the filly a shot at the 1,000 Guineas, Tompkins replied, “Well, I think we'll have to go now, won't we? David said if we're in the first three – it's a dream for him.”

It is also a dream for Stuart Williams, who is widely regarded as one of the shrewdest trainers in the business. 

“We'll go there and roll the dice,” said Williams, whose stable is a mere stroll from the Rowley Mile and who runs the classy sprinter Quinault (Oasis Dream) in Thursday's G3 Abernant Stakes. 

“It's special for me to have a runner in a Group 1 race at Newmarket. It would be fantastic if we get there. We came here to see if we should make the entry.”

The question has been emphatically answered. 

A Good First Effort

He may be unlikely to claim the first-season sires' championship but Abdulla Al Mansoori's stallion Good Effort has a notable first winner on the board in the form of debutante Magic Effort, the game winner of the Scorthy Champ Standing at Barton British EBF Maiden Fillies Stakes.

Father and daughter both raced in the same colours from the stable of Ismail Mohammed, who now trains all five of Good Effort's first crop, which, according to Weatherbys' Return of Mares, contained just six foals, one of whom died. 

Good Effort, who is by Shamardal out of the unraced Distorted Humor mare Magical Crown, is now 11 and stands at Eric Cantillon's Plumton Hall Stud near Bury St Edmunds. 

Rabbah Bloodstock's Jono Mills said, “I wouldn't say he's a private stallion as such but we have just covered some homebred mares by him and I have really liked his stock actually. He's covered a handful each year and there are probably about 16 of his youngsters in the pipeline.”

Good Effort was a busy boy in his racing days. From 37 starts largely over sprint trips, he won nine times for Al Mansoori, including back-to-back runnings of the Listed Golden Rose Stakes at Lingfield. He has seven yearlings on the ground from his second crop.