Pedigree analysis following Cheshire Oaks success for Forest Fairy
By Laura Joy
14:15 · FRI May 10, 2024
The choicely-bred Forest Fairy remained unbeaten in the Cheshire Oaks on Wednesday - but should she be aimed at the big one at Epsom early next month?
As we patiently wait for Galileo’s 100th Group One winner, the remarkable and indomitable former Champion Sire has posthumously achieved yet another notable milestone.
After Forest Fairy’s gritty, hard fought Listed Cheshire Oaks success, Galileo's son Waldgeist became his 50th stallion son to sire a stakes winner. To even sire 50 colts worthy of a place at stud speaks to the extent of Galileo’s lasting influence on the breed.
Waldgeist has been a slow burner since retiring to his second career, even with the appropriate allowances made for progression and time. A Group One-winning juvenile himself, only the best of the best can survive with a low percentage of two year old winners to foals, and Waldgeist was distinctly low with just three winning juveniles in 2023.
Perhaps that is too harsh on the horse, who was beaten just a head in the French Derby and is out of a half-sister to St Leger winner Masked Marvel. Though he won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud over a mile and a quarter at two, it wasn’t until his third season racing as a four year old where he began to find his stride. He found further progression as a five year old where he (in)famously etched his name into every racing fan’s memory at the expense of Enable and her bid for her third historic Arc victory.
Could Forest Fairy be a sign of what is yet to come when we see further crops aged three and above by Waldgeist hit the track?
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There will be a lot of happy faces in County Kilkenny as not only is Ballylinch Stud’s unrelenting faith in their rookie sire showing signs of paying dividend, but Forest Fairy became their anchor sire Lope de Vega’s 15th stakes winner as a broodmare sire.
Any three year olds or older running with Lope de Vega as their damsire are out of mares bred in his first five seasons at stud which should indicate a bright future for his daughters. His opening fee of €15,000 has steadily climbed to a present-high of €125,000 which should translate to a much higher quality mare. That doesn’t mean the best is yet to come, but it is as good an indicator as any and Lope de Vega’s daughters should be on breeders’ radars going forward.
Forest Fairy’s dam and daughter of Lope de Vega, Bahama Girl, was a debutant winner on the German Oaks undercard for Waldgeist’s co-owners and breeders Gestut Ammerland and beaten on her only other start. Credit where it is due, Ballylinch and their partners are renowned for supporting their stallions and sold Bahama Girl carrying Forest Fairy in utero for €24,000 at Goffs November Sale 2020.
Philip & Orla Hore were the astute purchasers and resulting breeders of Forest Fairy, her first foal. She has gone one better than her dam, following suit with an impressive six length debut success and backing up here in the Listed Cheshire Oaks. Bahama Girl is out of G3 Prix du Royaumont fourth Bahama Bay, herself a daughter of the triple Champion racemare Borgia (Acatenango).
Borgia’s daughter Born Wild (Sadler’s Wells) produced Andre Fabre’s G1 Prix Vermeille winner Baltic Baroness (Shamardal). Food for thought - Shamardal is the sire of Forest Fairy’s damsire Lope de Vega, and Sadler’s Wells is responsible for Galileo which makes him Forest Fairy’s great grandsire.
History might be repeating itself.
Jump back another generation to Forest Fairy’s fourth dam and you will find another Champion in German St Leger winner Britannia (Tarim). OK, it may seem frivolous to go so far back when we are looking ahead to Epsom, but when it comes to that venue, we know course form matters and it’s no coincidence that the majority of Derby winners are by Derby winners.
Though Britannia cannot claim the honour of producing one, she is the dam of German Derby winner Boreal (Java Gold) who globetrotted with varying degrees of success including when taking the Coronation Cup which is of course staged at Epsom.
'Horses for courses' never rings more true than over Epsom’s famous camber and with stamina in no short supply, there every is reason to hope Forest Fairy’s connections will be lured into allowing the filly take her place in the Betfred Oaks line-up with a pedigree like hers.
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