Anybody that follows European racing will be aware the Group I Cheveley Park Stakes (6f) at Newmarket overnight was going to provide a showdown between some top class 2YO fillies and it was Sun Goddess that emerged a record breaking winner.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Sun Godess won the Group I Moyglare Stud Stakes at her previous start over 7f and was dropping back in trip for this assignment against star fillies Libertango and Senorita Bonita.
She had the last run at them and forged clear to win by a length over Libertango clocking 1.09.08 seconds to break the track record.
“Sun Goddess is an incredible filly. It was a big ask for her today having run over seven furlongs on soft ground last time and she was going to be very vulnerable. She's very special and she should get a mile easily,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“She's a massive specimen for a two-year-old and if you didn't change anything between now and next year she would be an impressive looker next year as she is now.
“She's very unusual and looks a freak to be doing what she's doing. I can't remember having one with that speed and distance range before.”
Sun Goddess runs for the Coolmore partners and was purchased at the Goffs Premier UK Yearling Sale for £120,000 by Avenue Bloodstock for MV Magnier.
Her overall record stands at six wins and two seconds from eight starts and she is clearly something special.
She is the first winner from Etoile Bleu, an unraced half-sister by Starspangledbanner to South African Group II winner Gibraltar Blue and Group III winner Scream Blue Murder, the grand-dam of this year’s Group I winning 3YO Thesecretadversary.
Sun Goddess is the second Group I winner among 24 SW’s for Scat Daddy stallion Sioux Nation, who shuttled to Swettenham Stud in Victoria in 2019 for one season and interestingly his first Group I winner was produced from that one Aussie crop with Socks Nation winning the Group I BRC Queensland Oaks.
Sioux Nation stands at a fee of €37,500 at Coolmore Ireland and has his biggest ever foal crop out running this year as 2YOs and it has already produced 34 winners with Sun Goddess one of five SW’s.
Sun Goddess is a history maker as the first Group I winner as a broodmare sire for Starspangledbanner.
The family has an interesting offshoot in Australia with Iiex Excelsa (IRE), a Group III placed half-sister to the dam of Sun Goddess now at stud here.
She produced four foals for Coolmore, none of which have raced yet and was sold through Inglis Digital in June this year for just $13,000 in foal to Storm Boy to Nathan Hebbard.
Iiex Excelsa has foaled this spring producing this filly by Storm Boy, so Mr Hebbard might have gotten a bargain.
The Group I Middle Park Stakes (6f) was run over the same course for the 2YO colts, albeit nearly a second slower with the winner being Havana Grey colt Orthodox.
Trained by Clive Cox and ridden by Rossa Ryan, Orthodox won the Group II Royal Ascot Norfolk Stakes back in June and was sixth in the Group I Prix Morny behind Senorita Bonita coming into this.
He scored by a neck over a couple of long shots in Force Noir (Persian Force) and Hell of a Spin (Naval Crown).
Orthodox was purchased for €175,000 from Goffs Orby Book 1 by his trainer after being sold as a foal for 175,000 guineas at Tattersalls December Foal Sale.
Bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud, Orthodox is the best of two winners from stakes-placed Showcasing mare Heartwarming, a half-sister to Group II winner Heartache from stakes-winner Place in My Heart.
Orthodox is the second Group I winner for Havana Grey, whose other G1 winner Vandeek also won this race and shuttled to Arrowfield Stud last spring.
He covered 151 mares so has a good number of foals to be born here this year, although he is not available this year after being injured in quarantine.
