By Emma Berry
There was a proper Yorkshire feel to the winner of the Dante S., from breeder to trainer. William Haggas was absent from the Knavesmire but loves nothing more than having a winner at York, and Economics (GB), like his trainer, was born and bred in the county.
The strapping son of Night Of Thunder (Ire) was bred by one of Yorkshire's finest farms, Copgrove Hall Stud, from a family nurtured by the late Guy Reed, who bred the colt's first three dams.
Copgrove Hall Stud manager Brian O'Rourke was all smiles after the race, standing in the company of Adrian O'Brien of Hazelwood Bloodstock, who pinhooked Economics as a foal. O'Rourke said, “Guy Reed bred and raced his dam, and her sire Peintre Celebre was also raised on the stud by the Wildensteins.
“Andre Fabre trained the mare and she was a Group 2 winner. Guy said 'Please breed her for me', but she's had no luck. She had a dead foal and she had produced one winner before this guy. I loved him as a foal and Adrian bought him for 42,000gns and then sold him to Jake Warren for 160,000gns as a yearling.”
He added, “Guy would have loved this – winning the Dante. He would be so proud. He won the Ebor but this is wonderful. This is what it's all about.”
O'Rourke confirmed that Economics's dam La Pomme d'Amour (GB), who won back-to back runnings of the G2 Prix de Pomone, is now in foal to Stradivarius (Ire), and her current yearling by Nathaniel (Ire) was sold at last year's December Sales.
“We're trying to breed racehorses, not sales horses,” he said.
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