The first chapter of the story of Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was written 20 years ago when John Warren bought the listed winner Miss d'Ouilly (Fr) (Bikala {GB}) from Jean-Luc Lagardere at the Tattersalls December Sale for 50,000gns. The Night Shift foal she was carrying at the time became known as Night Frolic (GB), and she has established her own important branch of an accomplished family at Highclere Stud.
For Palace Pier, the tale is far from complete. This season's champion miler will remain in training for 2021, but in some ways the wheel has turned full circle as his dam Beach Frolic (GB), a daughter of Nayef and Night Frolic, is set to sell as dusk descends on Tattersalls on Tuesday.
Presented with a May 20 covering, she is carrying a foal from the first crop of sprint star Blue Point (Ire) and, unsurprisingly, the dark chestnut mare (lot 1731) was in and out of her stable for plenty of viewings as mare buyers compiled theor shortlists on Sunday at Park Paddocks.
Lady Carolyn Warren offers the 9-year-old Beach Frolic not just on behalf of her family's Highclere Stud but also for their partner and late friend, the Duke of Roxburghe, whose Floors Stud has been conducting a part-dispersal this season.
She said, “After John bought Miss d'Ouilly at the December Sale, the Duke of Roxburghe took part of her and we've owned the progeny in partnership together ever since.”
Beach Frolic was unraced but her half-siblings, the Group 2 winners Bonfire (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and Joviality (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) have given the family plenty of extra credence in recent years, while its topicality is underlined by the G2 Derby Italiano victory this season of King's Caper (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). He is out of another of Miss d'Ouilly's grand-daughters, the G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner and G1 Coronation S. runner-up Karen's Caper (War Chant), while this year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) has Miss d'Ouilly as her fourth dam.
“The family is jammed full of good horses and it's very current. King's Caper doesn't even fit on the page because there isn't room,” Lady Carolyn added.
“Beach Frolic is hard to fault. She's an absolute queen to look at and what's so amazing about her is that she can go to just about any stallion in the world. It's so rare to find something that is a complete outcross.”
Beach Frolic's name has already been in the news this autumn at Tattersalls when her yearling son by Highland Reel (Ire) fetched 320,000gns at Book 1 of the October Sale. With her 2-year-old Camelot (GB) filly Tiger Beetle (GB) in the hands of Sir Michael Stoute and a colt by Almanzor (Fr) on the ground this year, there is much to look forward to for those connected with the mare, not least the return next year of Palace Pier, who recently claimed the award for Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt.
Lady Carolyn's succinct appraisal of Beach Frolic concluded with the words, “She's the dam of a world champion, she produces lovely-looking stock and she's in foal to a champion.” Enough said really.
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