Group I winning Dubawi stallion Henry Longfellow (IRE) is covering his first Australian book of mares at Rosemont Stud this spring and overnight in Ireland his two year-old sister-in-blood landed her first Group race win.
A homebred for the Coolmore partners prepared by Aidan O’Brien, Sugar Island won on debut back in June before contesting a couple of Group races before she finished unplaced in the Group I Fillies Mile at Newmarket won by her stablemate Precise.
Dropped back in grade for the Group III Staffordstown Stud Stakes (1m) at The Curragh, Sugar Island relished the soft track to power clear for Wayne Lordan and win by nearly three lengths, her second win from five starts.
This race was won last year by the Ballydoyle prepared filly Whirl, who has come out this year to win a pair of G1 races and the stable believe Sugar Island also has classic potential.
"Wayne gave her a lovely ride. She's a big, galloping filly who stays very well. She had a very good run at Doncaster under Christophe [Soumillon] and it just didn't work out for her at Newmarket,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong.
“Hopefully we can bring her back for an Oaks trial next year."
Sugar Island is a half-sister to Group III placed Mother Earth and is the third winner from three foals to race from blue-blood Galileo mare Heaven on Earth, a winning sister to European Horse of the Year and seven time G1 winner Minding (dam of Henry Longfellow), dual Group I winner Tuesday (Breeders Cup Filly and Mare, Epsom Oaks), Group I winner Empress Josephine (Irish 1000 Guineas).
Henry Longfellow was a Group I winner at two and stands at a fee of $22,000 representing amazing value for a stallion whose pedigree is exceptional.
Sugar Island is the 312th stakes-winner worldwide for champion sire Dubawi, who has made inroads in Australia through his champion son Too Darn Hot (GB), while another champion son that shuttled to Victoria in Ghaiyyath (IRE) has had two stakes-winners this season from his first Australian crop of 3YO’s.
