Blue Point (IRE) – Fyxenna (GB) Filly
Gallery
OVERVIEW & VISION
Eclipse is on a mission to continue to enhance our footprint in Europe. Our recognizable silks have won Group or Listed Stakes in England, France, Ireland and Germany with our crowning achievement thus far being a triumph in the iconic Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
Over the past 3 seasons We have increased our yearling acquisitions with the purpose of keeping the Euro yearlings in Europe to be broken in, developed, raced and, if good enough, showcase at Royal Ascot while keeping open the possibility of exporting the fillies of proper caliber to the United States.
This strategy has already begun to bear fruit, but it is an ever-evolving process and we are constantly learning from our mistakes so as to maximize our Euro presence.
This yearling season, we were extremely selective, landing a trio of fillies. The first we landed was at the Tattersalls Sommerville sale, a fast-looking daughter of the prominent sire, Blue Point.
This filly was acquired early in the yearling sales season, which allowed for us to pluck her for incredible value, as we saw the prices skyrocket through the summer and into the fall, particularly for progeny of Blue Point, who simply goes from strength to strength as a stallion.
As a £50,000 purchase, this Blue Point filly presents exceptional value for money and she is already turning heads at Far Westfield Farm where she will learn her trade before being transferred to premiere trainer, Marco Botti, in Newmarket.
CONFORMATION
A strong advertisement for her sire, she possesses all his classic traits. A strong hip with plenty of power through her rear quarter leading to a strong Second thigh. A well set shoulder and strong forearm, giving her great balance. She also has plenty of growing left to do with lots of scope for development. She has a powerful walk, very active with lots of push from that big engine behind her.
WALKING VIDEO
To see the filly in motion:
EXPERT PEDIGREE ANALYSIS
Described by Timeform as “a bull of a horse”, Blue Point, the sire of this filly, was at the time of his retirement, the highest rated offspring of his excellent sire Shamardal. He made a winning debut at Nottingham in June at 2 and then put up his best performance when going close to breaking the 6f track record for juveniles when an impressive winner of the Gimcrack S-G2 at York. Also runner -up in the Richmond S-G2 (behind Mehmas) and in the Middle Park S-G1, he appeared not to get the trip when third in the 7f Dewhurst S-G1.
His 3yo season was restricted to just 4 runs, bookending his campaign with successes in 2 6f group 3 races at Ascot and finishing third to Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup-G1 at the Royal Meeting in between.
After finishing runner up in a group 2 race in Dubai, he returned to his best at 4 when beating the top class sprinter Battaash in the King’s Stand S-G1, back at the Royal Meeting, before going on to finish third in the Nunthorpe S-G1.
He was really in his pomp at 5 and was at his best at that age, when he was unbeaten in 5 starts. After garnering 3 group wins in Dubai including in the Al Quoz Sprint-G1, he returned again to Royal Ascot, where he emulated the great Australian sprinter Choisir by retaining his title against an international field for the King’s Stand S-G1 (beating his old rival Battaash again) on the opening day and then coming back on the Saturday to win the Diamond Jubilee S-G1.
Although he was successful on soft, he was at his best on faster ground. He was equally effective over 5 (particularly on a stiff track like Ascot) and 6f.
He made an immediate impact at stud, and joined an elite group- Sadler’s Wells, Rainbow Quest, Montjeu and Sea the Stars – by siring 3 major group one winners in his first crop of 3yos last year: the top miler of his age, triple group one winner and classic winner Rosallion, and the top class sprinters Kind of Blue and Big Evs, Timeform’s top rated 3yos in that division. The latter became his first top level winner when taking the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint.
Altogether he has sired 8 group winners and 15 listed winners so far, including 5 out of Danehill line mares, like this filly. Their number includes the current Australian 3yo, Icarian Dream, a group winner over 6f at Eagle Farm. The latter’s dam is by Stryker: this filly’s dam is by Foxwedge, another son of his sire Fastnet Rock.
Fastnet Rock’s daughters have a particularly good record with Lope de Vega, another son of Shamardal, producing 5 (18%) group winners, headed by the Australian group one winners Gytrash and Santa Ana Lane.
The cross may well work as Shamardal is a grandson of Storm Cat, who is a close relative of Royal Academy, the broodmare sire of Fastnet Rock. While Storm Cat is by Storm Bird, out of Terlingua (a daughter of Crimson Saint), Royal Academy is by Nijinsky (a close genetic relative of Storm Bird), out of Crimson Saint herself. This filly is actually inbred 4 x 5 to Storm Cat, who is also the grandsire of Foxwedge’s dam. Blue Point has sired current 3yo 7f listed winner Remmooz (2nd dam by One Cool Cat) who is similarly inbred.
The majority of Blue Point’s progeny have taken after him and in the main are sprinters or milers. They seem more versatile than he was though, as far as the ground is concerned.
This filly’s is her dam’s fourth foal. She is a half sister to the very useful filly Union Court (by Havana Grey) who only ran at 2, winning her first 2 starts, both over 5f, at Chepstow and Leicester, before acquitting herself in better company, finishing second in a listed race at Newbury and fifth in in the Weatherbys Super Sprint S there in a fairly busy season.
Although Good Enough, her grandam, was placed in the 10f Prix Saint-Alary and her produce were mostly effective from 8 to 10f, her daughters’ progeny has proved to be more effective over sprint distances, particularly when put to sprint sires. The 10f winner Arcamist for instance has bred two high class sprinters, the Sandy LaneS-G2 winner Symbol of Honour (by Havana Grey) and Dragon Symbol (by Cable Bay), who was perhaps a bit unlucky to be demoted to second after winning the Commonwealth Cup-G1.
There is some latent stamina in the back pedigree, producing the likes of Goodwood Cup-G2 winner Jardine’s Lookout, but most of the family have fared better over shorter. It goes back to the Champion 2yo Star of India.
To see the filly’s pedigree page, click on the link below:
TRAINER & THE PLAN
From his arrival in Newmarket in 2006, Marco Botti quickly established himself as one of Britain’s leading trainers. A reputation for fielding high-class challengers in the world’s biggest races led to Marco being voted international trainer of the year at the 2012 HWPA Derby Awards. He also boasts an admirable strike-rate with his runners at home, where he has been champion all-weather trainer.
International Group and Grade 1 victories with Capla Temptress, Euro Charline, Excelebration, Tac De Boistron, Joshua Tree and Gitano Hernando have been backed up by a strong supporting cast which includes G2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Moohaajim, G2 Rockfel Stakes winner Al Thakhira, and G2 Gran Premio di Milano winner Dylan Mouth.
Jakkalberry and Dandino landed back-to-back runnings of the American St Leger in 2012 and 2013, while Jakkalberry also triumphed in the G2 Dubai City of Gold. The reliable Grendisar counted the G3 Winter Derby among his 10 wins, and he was matched in consistency by the Group performer Planteur, who was third in the 2013 and 2012 Dubai World Cup. Excelebration also gave Marco his first Classic victory when winning the German 2,000 Guineas in 2011, and this was followed by a second victory in the race in 2016 for the Coolmore-owned Knife Edge.
In 2017, the Botti stable again earned more than £1 million in prize-money for owners on a worldwide basis, with winners in Dubai and Canada, including a seventh Group/Grade 1 victory with Capla Temptress in the Natalma Stakes, while Fanciful Angel came agonisingly close to landing another when second in the G1 Arlington Million. In 2018, Aljazzi has built on her previous G3 Atalanta Stakes win before going on to become the stable’s first Royal Ascot winner in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.
Marco was bred to succeed in racing. His father Alduino has been champion trainer in Italy for more than 30 years, while Marco’s brother Stefano is also a leading trainer in Italy. In addition to learning at home with his family, Marco also spent time working for leading trainers Luca Cumani, Ed Dunlop and Saeed Bin Suroor before embarking on his own training career. Marco has now gone on to train over 870 winners and win more than £17.5 million in prize-money.
Marco and Eclipse Founder and President, Aron Wellman, have deep roots dating back to the early 2000’s when the young lads combined to win big races in Europe with Gitano Hernando and then conquer the world together when that charge captured the Grade 1 Goodwood at Santa Anita on American soil.
Marco currently conditions a handful of Eclipse runners in England, all of whom have been expertly handled and have major upside under Marco’s keen horsemanship and shrewd tutelage.
VALUATION
The total 100% valuation is £70,000 with increments starting at 3%. You can see the chart below for pricing details.
QUESTIONS & COMMITMENT CONTACTS
To ask questions or to make a commitment, please feel free to reach out to any of the following Eclipse team members:
Jamie Lloyd at Info@jamielloyd.com or +44 7785 115240
Henry Spiller at henry@henryspiller.com or +44 7786 263997
Aron Wellman at Aron@eclipseTBpartners.com or at (310) 968-9559