By Tom Frary
Impressive on debut at Kempton earlier this month, Michelle Morris and Jan and Peter Hopper's homebred Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}–Blues Sister {GB}, by Compton Place {GB}) defied a penalty to earn TDN Rising Star status at Doncaster on Saturday evening. Keen early under Danny Muscutt's restraint behind the leader Ananda (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the card's six-furlong novice won in 2018 by future sprinting bigwig Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), the 11-4 second favourite was the only one able to live with that 2-1 market leader. Arriving at his side a furlong out, the James Fanshawe-trained G1 Commonwealth Cup entry swamped him from there for an emphatic 2 1/2-length success.
Kind Of Blue's unraced dam, whose 2-year-old colt by Starspangledbanner (Aus) was a 170,000gns purchase by Tony Head at the recent Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up, is as her name suggests a full-sibling of the stable's G2 British Champions Sprint S. hero Deacon Blues (GB). She is also a half to another who captured that prize for the stable, this time after it had been promoted to group 1 status, in the former Pegasus Stables' stalwart The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}). He also annexed the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and like all the family progressed markedly with age and experience.
The third dam Barford Lady (GB) (Stanford {Ire}) produced the sire Warningford (GB) (Warning {GB}), who also excelled for this yard in winning three renewals of the Leicestershire S. when it held group 3 status and who was also third in the G1 Prix de la Foret.
Two from two for Kind Of Blue – who holds a Commonwealth Cup entry- looks talented at @DoncasterRaces!@james_fanshawe | @D_Muscutttt pic.twitter.com/aS07qd2wkB
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 18, 2024
4th-Doncaster, £8,000, Novice, 5-18, 3yo/up, 6f 2yT, 1:10.51, g/f.
KIND OF BLUE (GB), c, 3, by Blue Point (Ire)
1st Dam: Blues Sister (GB), by Compton Place (GB)
2nd Dam: Persario (GB), by Bishop Of Cashel (GB)
3rd Dam: Barford Lady (GB), by Stanford (Ire)
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $10,184. O-Michelle Morris & Jan & Peter Hopper; B-Mr & Mrs M Morris, Mr & Mrs P Hopper (GB); T-James Fanshawe. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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