Pedigree pointers: Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh on July 1

By Laura Joy

10:48 · FRI June 30, 2023

Our pedigree expert Laura Joy thumbs through the pedigrees of some choicely-bred fillies in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Ashwiyaa (Sioux Nation x Cyrenaica)

This daughter of leading second crop sire Sioux Nation is out of a mare by a sire not many will be familiar with. Multiple graded stakes place getter Angliana retired to stud in Texas following 31 starts, but it is his sire line that poses intrigue here. He is by Giant’s Causeway who is by Storm Cat and with Sioux Nation descending from the same line, there is a nice blend of Storm Cat on both side, a tactic that has been seen to great effect of late – think Lady Aurelia, Preakness winner Early Voting and 1000 Guineas third Matilda Picotte (Sioux Nation) who was also third in this race last year. This filly has had two placed efforts to date but do not let that concern you if she is your pick. Her sire Sioux Nation was the same and made it third time lucky in getting off the mark, albeit in maiden company. Her dam Cyrenaica is an unraced half-sister to Suedois (Le Havre) who undoubtedly improved with age, though that is to be expected for a son of Le Havre. Sioux Nation is a proven source of precocity and third dam Gold Mark is a half-sister to G2 Railway Stakes winner Honours List (Danehill). Michael O’Callaghan’s team know how to separate their juvenile swans from the geese and the fact she is lining up here is a tip in itself.

Do It With Style (Ten Sovereigns x Sodashy)

The form figures look disappointing but Donnacha O’Brien’s apparent first string was not beaten far by their second string Porta Fortuna in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last week. A daughter of July Cup winner and first crop sire Ten Sovereigns, a Group Two success here would certainly put him at the top of the first season sire rankings to date. This filly is a half-sister to 10f Listed winner Talk Or Listen (Alhebayeb) out of the unplaced mare Sodashy (Noverre). Sodashy is a half-sister to G3 Cornwallis winner Ponty Acclaim (Acclamation) as well as Killermont Street who is better known as the dam of Listed Redcar Two Year Old Trophy winner Cold Case (Showcasing). The class in her pedigree were better as three year olds but there’s enough precocity from the sire to give her a chance as we enter the height of the summer. A winner over course and distance, forgive her Albany effort and she has a live opportunity to earn black type.

Matrika (No Nay Never x Muravka)

Turned out quickly following a gallant runner up effort to Porta Fortuna in the Albany, Matrika is bred to be tough and so she is proving to be. Her unraced dam Muravka (High Chaparral) is already responsible for two stakes winning juveniles – one of those being G1 Prix Morny winner The Wow Signal (Starspangledbanner), and Matrika has wasted no time in adding black type to her record at Royal Ascot on her second start. Second dam Tabdea (Topsider) won the Listed Firth of Clyde Stakes as a two year old. Matrika’s full brother Unicorn Lion (No Nay Never) is a G3 winner in Japan showing his best form at three. This filly is bred to progress as much as she is bred to be early and the quick turnaround here indicates this could be her time to shine.

Airlie Stud Stakes (Fillies' Group 2) | 14:15 Curragh, Saturday

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Grand Job (Justify x Sure Route)

Who could forget the taking victory of Justify's elegant first crop filly Statuette in the 2022 renewal of this juvenile fillies contest. With a pedigree as captivating as her imposing physical, the half-sister to Tenebrism out of Coronation Stakes winner Immortal Verse put in a foot perfect performance to boost her Triple Crown winning sire's credentials at an early stage. Joseph O'Brien's charge doesn't share much else in common with last year's winner who arrived here unbeaten (one from one) though. Grand Job’s dam Sure Route (Ishiguru) is stakes placed in America and from six foals of racing age, four have won with G3 UAE Oaks winner Divine Image (Scat Daddy) the sole stakes performer. It's back to her third dam to find more black type and even as far as her fourth dam the best on offer is Star Of Gdansk (Danzig Connection) who won the G3 Tetrarch Stakes in 1991. Grand Job is closely related to the best her dam has produced yet with Justify being a son of Scat Daddy, and arrives fresh having finished just three quarters of a length shy of Matrika on debut. If you want to take on the short-priced favourite, Grand Job looks the surest alternative route.

Gunzburg (Sioux Nation x Minnelli)

The second Sioux Nation filly to line up, Gunzburg shed her maiden tag second time out over the minimum trip in as many starts. Fourth in the same maiden that accounts for Albany second Matrika as well as the reopposing Grand Job, Gunzburg took the third possible option following the race. Making hay whilst the sun shined at Royal Ascot, Gunzburg won with the minimum of fuss at Down Royal on the same day as the Albany whilst Grand Job rested for the trio’s latest assignment. Gunzburg is the first foal out of the winning juvenile mare Minnelli (Showcasing). Not sold for €15,000 as a yearling, she clearly blossomed over the winter requiring £160,000 from Paddy Twomey to secure her. Her immediate pedigree is light, but we know now what Sioux Nation can do and it can be no harm having top two year old and speed sire Showcasing as her damsire either. That said, there are classier bred individuals here and pedigree buffs will be disappointed if this filly turns out the best in a race that has a roll of honour including regally bred subsequent G1 winners Clemmie, Roly Poly, Albigna and Listen since its establishment in 2005.

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Launch (Omaha Beach x Spark)

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, as the saying goes. Amo Racing's ability to seek out talented, precocious juveniles should not be a secret anymore. Based on last week's Norfolk Stakes, this filly's trainer reminded us why it pays to follow juveniles carrying the purple and white silks. This filly is one of seven runners to date by her North American based first crop sire Omaha Beach (War Front). With three winners to his credit and this filly who earned black type when third to Porta Fortuna at Naas, Omaha Beach currently sits third in the American first crop sire leaderboard at this early stage. He was an admirably consistent racehorse once he got off the mark winning five of his ten starts and placing every other time. Effective from 6f to 9f at Grade One level, Omaha Beach's progeny should improve from two to three if emulating their sire and speed should be in abundance too. This filly's dam Spark (Speightstown) was sharper than her sire's usual, winning her maiden first time out in January of her three year old season. She was useful without being a star, and she was a sprinter. The family of Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos as well as top class sire Dynaformer, this filly is bred to be good, but at her best next year. Connections aside, on pedigree she is best watched today however results of late suggest it is best not to advise against Amo juveniles.

Miss Roberts (Siyouni x Ghalyah)

If recency bias counts for anything then this daughter of Siyouni out of a mare by Frankel handled by Ed Walker who has his team in scintillating form could be vying for favouritism come post time. Miss Roberts is by the sire who has gifted us a rare pair of Classic winners who both followed up at Royal Ascot after Paddington and Tahiyra backed up their Irish Guineas wins with St James' Palace and Coronation Stakes successes respectively. If any sire can rival Siyouni right now for form it's Frankel who had a well-documented three Group One winners at Royal Ascot last week. His first daughter's progeny are beginning to take to the racecourse now and he already boasts four stakes winners to date as a broodmare sire. Assuming his first daughters were covered as four year olds, the youngest of those stakes winners were born in 2019, or four year olds of 2023, so it's a promising start. Given the success of the Siyouni x Galileo cross (Sottsass, St Mark's Basilica), it follows that Frankel's best daughters should visit French Champion Sire Siyouni at some point and this filly could end up a prime example why. Miss Roberts is out of Ghalyah, an unraced half-sister to Ed Walker's one time Derby hope English King (Camelot). The pair are kin to another super mare in Prudenzia who is responsible for lovable rogue Chicquita (Montjeu) as well as G1 winner Magic Wand, both of whom showed good form at the Curragh, the former in winning the Irish Oaks. On form she is undeniably best watched but given her stable's electric form and her attractive pedigree, at a big price do not let pedigree be the reason you skip her.

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