Laura Joy looks at the pedigrees of the Markel Molecomb Stakes field with Havana Grey's Eddie's Boy gunning for more glory after his Super Sprint win.
In 2017, Havana Grey gifted a first crop stakes winner to Havana Gold in the G3 Molecomb Stakes. Five years on, Eddie’s Boy bids to repeat history. From Havana Grey’s first crop, he heads to post under red-hot jockey Hollie Doyle charged with giving Havana Grey his second stakes winner in as many weeks. The market suggests it is well within the realms of possibility, but it is by no means a penalty kick.
Eddie’s Boy is fresh off a Weatherbys Super Sprint win and has been almost as busy as his sire having run five times to date. The difference – Havana Grey was twice successful in Listed company before stepping up at Goodwood in this very contest. Eddie’s Boy has twice contested Listed contests, running with credit but on both occasions finding two rivals too good. Improvement is needed, but not impossible. He is out of Holy Roman Emperor mare Spontaneity, a half-sister to stakes winning two year old Swiss Lake, dam of useful sprinter and sire Swiss Spirit.
Short priced favourite Rocket Rodney (Dandy Man) undoubtedly has the best form on offer. A son of Dandy Man, he’s bred to be fast and early. Dandy Man scored at Listed level as a juvenile, and his dam Lady Alexander won the 1997 renewal of this race. A son of Mozart, Champion 3yo sprinter who died after siring his sole crop, Dandy Man is a renowned source of speed and precocity. Rocket Rodney shares his damsire with top sprinter Blue Point – his unplaced dam is by Royal Applause. Though she showed nothing on the racecourse, she is a full sister to two stakes winning two year olds, including Richmond Stakes winner Mister Cosmi. The form is in the book and this gelded son of Dandy Man is doing what his pedigree suggests so far. A worthy favourite, his rivals will need to improve past his high-class form to beat him.
Whether Walbank (Oasis Dream) should have been awarded the Norfolk Stakes following The Ridler’s (Brazen Beau) misbehaviour is still a hot topic of debate. What we do know is that this 525,000gns Breeze Up purchase still has a bit to do to live up to his price tag. Sire Kodiac is synonymous with sharp early two year olds and this year he’s been noticeably quiet. Kodiac is in need of Walbank to step up to the mark, and he has the pedigree to do it. Walbank is the first foal out of winning 2yo No Lippy, a full sister to 6f Listed winner Polybius (Oasis Dream). However even more significantly, her half-sister Albigna (Zoffany) won three of her five starts as a two year old including the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes. Walbank is lightly raced. He has the scope within his pedigree to improve and the profile to do so, but he will need to.
Studio City (Cotai Glory) is similarly lightly raced and arrives here on an upward curve having won his maiden by six lengths. His sire Cotai Glory was victorious in this race on his fifth start and has proven himself a useful source of juvenile winners. Whilst he has numerous black type earners, he is yet to sire a Group winner on these shores. Studio City’s dam failed to win in eight attempts, but is a daughter of a Group 3 winning two year old. It would raise a few eyebrows if Studio City emerged on top. The main attraction is his trainer – Michael O’Callaghan won this contest in 2018 with the unfashionably bred colt Steel Bull (Clodovil) who also came here on the back of a maiden win.
Bidding to maintain his sire’s excellent season so far is the only filly in the race, Trillium (No Nay Never). Her trainer who knows how to win a Molecomb – he took the 2021 renewal with a son of the same sire and this filly is bred to be early. Her form figures read 21 and her dam’s juvenile form is encouraging. A homebred for Rockcliffe Stud, Trillium boasts the classiest pedigree though her lack of experience against battle hardened colts may show. She’s out of G3 placed two year old Marsh Hawk whose half-sister Hairy Rocket (Pivotal) placed in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes for two year old fillies at Royal Ascot. Whilst you only have to go back as far as Liberty Beach in 2019 to find a victorious filly in this contest, it’s typically a race that goes to the colts. That said, given the mark No Nay Never’s first six figure bred crop are making on the juvenile scene, it would come as no surprise for Trillium to feature. With the pace likely to be fierce, if Trillium has enough toe to stay in touch she should out run her odds.
The second and lesser fancied son of Dandy Man to take his place is Thunder Moor for in form trainer Kevin Ryan and jockey Danny Tudhope who is having a season to remember. This colt’s damsire Showcasing is another whose connections are revelling in a lucrative campaign. Thunder Moor has a couple of lengths to find with the protagonists taking the form at face value. Putting a line through Ascot, he showed early pace when winning at York and like the favourite, is by proven speed sire Dandy Man. He is the first foal out of his winning dam, she is a half-sister to the dam of last year’s Flying Childers Stakes winner Caturra (Mehmas). It’s the extended family of Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightning Pearl. Dandy Man is the likeliest winning sire here, but on pedigree alone this colt just edges it over the market leader.
The only other representative of a first crop sire in the field, Dickieburd (Cracksman) is no stranger to big prices. He shed his maiden tag at 40/1 at Chester last time, but that was before his rookie sire enjoyed a first stakes winner from only nine domestic runners. Intrigue is growing with Cracksman’s progeny initially expected to need the Autumn and beyond to show their best form. Bought into by an astute syndicate led by Nick Bradley following his Chester win, Dickieburd isn’t bred to make his mark in Group company. You have to go back to his fourth dam to find a blacktype winner and the highlights include 1994 Melbourne Cup winner Jeune. But his dam (by Equiano) was useful over 5f as a juvenile and Cracksman has already defied the odds with unbeaten Star Stakes winner Dance In The Grass. Another dramatic odds defiance is required if he’s going to get involved.
Looking For Lynda (Unfortunately) was not sold for €2,200 as a foal and subsequently picked up for 12,000gns by his trainer Karl Burke’s sharp eye. His sire Unfortunately (Society Rock) was Champion Two year Old in France thanks to a handy win over Havana Grey in the G1 Prix Morny. However a difficult three year old campaign resulted in a lack of support at stud and commercially he missed the mark. His dam is out of a full sister to Lockinge winner Peeress but opportunity aside, Unfortunately is yet to prove he was underestimated. It would be a big shock on both form and pedigree were he to win here.
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