Irish 2000 Guineas: Where Did They Come From?

There's been almost no getting away from You'resothrilling (Storm Cat) when it comes to the Irish Guineas in recent years. The sister to Giant's Causeway has conducted an exclusive relationship with Galileo (Ire) since departing to stud and their first foal, Marvellous (Ire), won the Irish 1000 Guineas, swiftly followed by her year-younger brother Gleneagles (Ire), who took the Irish 2000 Guineas as the middle leg of a Group 1 treble at three. Taj Mahal (Ire) broke the mould by heading instead to the Prix du Jockey Club, in which he was fourth, and next in line was Happily (Ire), who was only third in the Irish 1000 Guineas—the slacker!—but she already had two Group 1s to her name by then. The Group 3-winning juvenile Coolmore (Ire) didn't quite live up to her portentous name, but now we find the mare's current 3-year-old, Vatican City (Ire), among the challengers for this year's Classic. He is not the only member of the family in the line-up, however, as he will be facing his own stable-mate, Fort Myers (War Front), a son of his sister Marvellous.

Armory (Ire)
(Galileo {Ire}) – After (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire})

A Coolmore homebred who was a very consistent sort last year, winning his maiden followed by the G3 Tyros S. and G2 Futurity S. Placed efforts behind Pinatubo (Ire), Victor Ludorum (Ire) and Alson (Ger) in three consecutive Group 1 races last autumn make him a major player. He is the second foal of his dam, who was fifth in the Irish 1000 Guineas of 2012.

Fiscal Rules (Ire)
Make Believe (GB) – Gold Mirage (Galileo {GB})

Homebred by his trainer Jim Bolger, Fiscal Rules made a bold debut when being beaten a head into second by subsequent 2000 Guineas runner-up Wichita (Ire) at the Curragh last August. From a family which includes the illustrious miler Goldikova (Ire), his dam was bought from the Breeding Capital dispersal at Tattersalls in 2010 for 30,000gns and went on to win the following year over a mile and a half. She is also the dam of the Group 3-winning stayer Cimeara (Ire) (Vocalised).

Fort Myers
War Front – Marvellous (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})

As mentioned above, his dam won the Irish 1000 Guineas in 2014 and his grandam is a full-sister to Giant's Causeway. Fort Myers was third to Siskin in the G2 Railway S., and also to Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) in the G3 Round Tower S. before taking out the listed Star Appeal S. at Dundalk and flying to Santa Anita for a mid-div finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Free Solo (Ire)
Showcasing (GB) – Amuser (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})

The Niarchos family is represented by this grandson of their brilliant treble Group 1-winning miler Six Perfections (Fr). Free Solo's dam never raced but is a sister to three stakes winners in Yucatan (Ire), Mount Everest (Ire) and Faufiler (Ire). He won his maiden easily over a mile last July at Leopardstown after finishing third to the ill-fated Year Of The Tiger (Ire) on debut.

Lope Y Fernandez (Ire)
Lope De Vega (Ire) – Black Dahlia (GB) (Dansili {GB})

A €900,000 Coolmore purchase at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, his breeder SF Bloodstock bought his dam, a five-time winner between seven and ten furlongs, for 40,000gns back in 2010 and she has proved a good buy. Her son by Dream Ahead, Dark Vision (Ire) won the G2 Vintage S. and Lope Y Fernandez ran third in that same race behind Pinatubo (as well as having finished second to him in the Chesham) before winning the G3 Round Tower S.

Monarch Of Egypt
American Pharoah – Up (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})

The first European runner and winner for the American Triple Crown hero American Pharoah last season, Monarch Of Egypt was bred by Ran Jan Racing and was picked up in partnership by Coolmore and Peter Brant for $750,000 at the Keeneland September Sale. His dam, a $2.2 million purchase in 2015, was runner-up to Beauty Parlour (Jpn) in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and won the G2 Blandford S. Monarch Of Egypt didn't win again after his successful April debut but he was runner-up to Siskin in both the G2 Railway S. and G1 Phoenix S.

Rebel Tale
Tale Of The Cat – Purr And Prowl (Purim)

A $37,000 Keeneland September purchase by Mags O'Toole, Rebel Tale won his maiden as a juvenile in May and rounded out his season by running second to Armory in the G2 Futurity S. and fourth behind Mogul (GB) in the G2 KMPG Champions Juvenile S. His dam won over nine furlongs on the turf in the U.S. and his half-sister, the treble winner La Vale (Freedom Child), was bought by Joe Foley at the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale last year for 16,000gns.

Royal Lytham (Ire)
Gleneagles (Ire) – Gotlandia (Fr) (Anabaa)

Like the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Dream And Do (Ire), Royal Lytham was bred by Haras du Logis Saint German and was sold by Olivier Carli's farm for €180,000 at the Arqana August Sale to MV Magnier. Carli raced his Quesnay-bred dam, who was a listed winner over seven furlongs at three.

Sinawann (Ire)
Kingman (GB) – Simawa (Ire) (Anabaa)

The winner of a Curragh maiden over a mile in August, this Aga Khan homebred was then second to Mogul (GB) in the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. on Irish Champions Weekend. His dam is a winning half-sister to dual Derby and Arc winner Sinndar (Ire) and has three other black-type earners to her credit.

Siskin
First Defence – Bird Flown (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})

Sets a high benchmark with his four wins from four starts, culminating in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. The only blot on his copybook came on his sole trip outside Ireland when he was withdrawn from the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. after becoming unsettled in the stalls. His dam is a grand-daughter of Monroe, the dam of Xaar (GB), and the dam's half-sister Rising Tornado has produced the five-time Grade 1 winner Close Hatches (also by First Defence), who is in turn the dam of G2 Wood Memorial winner and Kentucky Derby third Tacitus.

Vatican City (Ire)
Galileo (Ire) – You'resothrilling (Storm Cat)

The winner of a seven-furlong Dundalk maiden in October on his second and most recent start but, as discussed at the top, this Coolmore homebred is fully entitled to be given due consideration on pedigree.