Mecca's Angel

It was fitting that Dark Angel's 100th stakes winner should have come in the Dick Hern S. at Haydock, a milestone which the ultra-reliable Yeomanstown Stud-based stallion reached thanks to the victory of the St. Albans Bloodstock home-bred filly Heredia (GB). Dick Hern, who sent out 16 British Classic winners including three winners of the Derby as well as his best horse Brigadier Gerard (GB), would have thoroughly approved of Dark Angel. Hern was an archetypal 'old-school' trainer who excelled with every type of horse. Late in his career he...

The Curragh played host to another TDN Rising Star on Sunday as Ballydoyle's newcomer Hudson River (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made all to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with the promise of much to come. Showing dash from the break to gain the lead and rail advantage under Seamie Heffernan, the first foal out of the dual G1 Nunthorpe S. heroine Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who was the 3-1 joint-favourite was always doing enough in front and at the line had a comfortable 1 1/2-length margin to...