Four notable newcomers for Aidan O'Brien this weekend
Aidan O'Brien already has an exceptionally strong hand in the two-year-old division and is set to introduce further firepower this weekend. Here are the four well-bred newcomers he has declared on Friday and Saturday.
Mint Candy (17:50 Tipperary, Friday)
Dubawi x Rushing Fall
O'Brien is responsible for the favourite in this fillies' maiden in Ecstatic who shaped well when third on debut at Leopardstown last month and will again be partnered by Ryan Moore. She has an excellent pedigree being the first foal out of the globe-trotting Australian Group 1 winner Magic Wand, though she's not the only Ballydoyle representative who catches the eye on paper.
Mint Candy is also the first foal out of a top-level winner, in her case the very smart American mare Rushing Fall whose six wins at Grade 1 level included the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Mint Candy is by a leading sire in Dubawi.
Acapulco Bay (13:45 Curragh, Saturday)
Dubawi x Je Ne Regretterien
The first string in this seven-furlong maiden, and the mount of Ryan Moore, is Delacroix who is out of multiple Grade 1 winner Tepin and shaped well when runner-up on debut at Leopardstown a couple of weeks ago.
Acapulco Bay isn't out of such a talented racemare, for all her dam, Je Ne Regretterien, won a couple of times in France during a light career. However, Je Ne Regretterien comes from an excellent family as she is a sister to Magic Wand and closely related to Chicquita who was also a Group 1 winner.
Island Hopping (13:55 Newmarket, Saturday)
Wootton Basset x Heaven of Heavens
O'Brien's sole representative in Newmarket's fillies' maiden for newcomers, Island Hopping, is out of a mare who failed to win in two starts. However, Heaven of Heavens comes from an extremely successful family.
Heaven of Heavens is by Galileo and out of multiple Group 1 winner Halfway to Heaven which makes her a sister to several winners, most notably Magical and Rhododendron. Rhododendron has already made her mark as a broodmare by producing Auguste Rodin.
Tea Rose (14:50 Curragh, Saturday)
Frankel x Marsha
Ryan Moore has again elected to side with experience in this fillies' conditions race and partners Ballet Slippers, the first foal of multiple Group 1 winner Magical, who was an encouraging third on debut at the Curragh last month.
Magical reached a Timeform rating of 128 which is exceptionally high for a mare, though Tea Rose's dam, Marsha, achieved a rating of 130 for her defeat of Lady Aurelia in the 2017 Nunthorpe Stakes.
Marsha, who had also won the Prix de l'Abbaye the previous year, fetched 6 million guineas when sold in December 2017, setting a new European record for a horse sold at auction, but sadly died last year.
Her first foal, Tender Kiss (by Galileo), was unplaced on her only start but this filly by Frankel is still an eye-catching newcomer.
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