Horse Overview

In the case of St Mark’s Basilica, he obviously ticks the 2000m+ box winning the Prix du Jockey Club, Coral Eclipse and the Irish Champion Stakes amongst his five Group Ones. Even more emphatically, he ticks the producer of top class juveniles box with last year’s Champion Irish filly Diamond Necklace, still undefeated, last year’s Chesham runner up, Thesecretadversary, plus a host of other two-year-old winners, who like this filly will be even better over further at three.

We had to dig deep and go to ₤205k to secure the filly, however with the favourable exchange rate those last couple of bids were slightly less painful. We feel however at that price she was still terrific buying, given the residual value provided via her dam’s Champion sister in Kalpana, amongst other black type performers in the family. Interestingly too, this filly’s dam is out of a Dansili mare, the same damsire as Diamond Necklace, so we know the cross works.

View Pedigree Here

For a filly likely to get over ground, competing amongst for the most part speedy squibs, her breeze was very good on the clock running 38/200 for the first furlong, 91/200 for the second furlong (when she got the speed wobbles up) then 50/200 for the half furlong through the line, ranking her 58/200 overall, or the top 29% of the catalogue. It was how she did it that was most impressive however, continually pricking her ears and waiting for another push along. She’s got a massive stride on her and although she still doesn’t quite know how to make use of it, in time she’s going to be some sort of machine.

The plan with the filly is to give her a very quiet week to settle into Newmarket, find a 1200m race for her towards the end of May, then pin the ears back and aim up at the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. Ultimately, she’ll make her way to Australia towards the end of her three-year-old season, hopefully with some black type and a massive residual value in her back pocket.