Former Vinery shuttler Red Ransom dominated Group 1 racing at Leopardstown over the weekend via his sire sons Intikhab and Red Clubs.
Intikhab champion Snow Fairy won the G1 Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday and Red Clubs filly Sky Lantern ran away from her rivals in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on Sunday.
Red Ransom (Roberto) began stud duties at Vinery’s Kentucky headquarters in 1991 and arrived in Australia to become its Australian foundation sire in 1999. He died in November 2009.
Snow Fairy (5m Intikhab – Woodland Dream by Charnwood Forest) faced a class field at Leopardstown but was good enough to coast home ahead of this year’s Coral-Eclipse winner Nathaniel and Coronation Cup winner St Nicholas Abbey.
“That has to be her best performance,” trainer Ed Dunlop claimed. “She beat the best colts and broke the track record.”
Snow Fairy is raced by owner-breeder Cristina Patino under the banner of Windflower Overseas Holdings. The filly was catalogued for the 2008 Tattersalls Ireland December Sale but was passed-in when bidding stopped at 1,800 euros!
She was a G1 winner of the English – Irish Oaks double in 2010 and added the G1 Queen Elizabeth Cup at Kyoto on her way to winning the G1 Hong Kong Cup. After a winless summer last year, she returned to Japan and captured a second Queen Elizabeth Cup but a tendon injury kept her sidelined for nine months.
Snow Fairy scored a first-up victory in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville last month before going to another level at Leopardstown. “Looking ahead, we will take it one step at a time,” Dunlop said. “She’s in the English Champion Stakes and the Arc de Triomphe and I would love to take her to the Breeders’ Cup.”
Her sire Intikhab (USA) stands for a 5,500 euros fee at Derrinstown Stud in Ireland.
Sky Lantern gave deceased Tally-Ho Stud stallion Red Clubs his first Group 1 winner in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. She won at Goodwood and Naas before finishing second at G3 level in the Prestige Stakes and Sweet Solera Stakes.
Red Clubs won the G2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock Park before retiring to stud in 2008. He died last year after being injured in an accident when covering a mare.
Sky Lantern (2f Red Clubs – Shawanni by Shareef Dancer) was bred by Tally-Ho Stud and is a younger half-sister to the stakes winners Arctic, Hinton Admiral and Shanty Star. She was a 75,000 euros buy at the 2011 Goffs Orby yearling sale.
The Red Ransom sireline is firing on several fronts in Australia and Vinery maintains its link through G1 AJC Champagne Stakes winner Onemorenomore. He occupies the same barn as his illustrious sire at Vinery.
– Karl Patterson
SNOW FAIRY
Irish Champion Stakes winner by Intikhab