The 2005 Two Thousand Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand (GB) failed to garner much excitement in his two seasons at stud in Australia, however the son of Giant's Causeway is a solid stallion in Europe and he recently has a couple of juvenile winners that set pulses racing.
Mums Tipple may not sport the name of a top-class horse but the Richard Hannon-trained youngster took his record to two from two with an astonishing 11-length romp in the £300,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes (6f) at York.
A first-up winner at Ascot, Mums Tipple sent a hum through the crowd when he extended his margin at every call under Ryan Moore, leaving a field of 20 runners in his wake.
"We thought he was a very nice horse when we took him to Ascot and that was an unbelievable day because Martin (Hughes) bought him for his mother-in-law and mother and there was a bit of pressure on that, but I'd imagine he's pretty taken aback judged on that," Hannon told told ITV Racing
"I haven't seen a horse surprise me like that for a couple of years. I'm not sure what strength and depth there was in the race, but I'd like to find another one again at Doncaster (sales) like that.
"He is one of the nicest horses we've had in terms of the way he moves, the way he behaves is a little bit different and his stallion is very capable of getting one.
"He just does his thing at home, but the good ones do that.
"To me he looks like he'll still improve - not that he'd have to."
Mums Tipple was quoted at a 12-1 to emulate his sire in the 2000 Guineas.
"I don't know yet (where we will see him next), we'll sleep on it. I'm not sure what else he's in, I nearly put him in the Lagardare and to me in the paddock he looked like a man amongst boys."
The following day at York, Hannon struck again with another 2yo son of Footstepsinthesand (GB).
Following seconds in both the Coventry and Richmond Stakes, the Cheveley Park-owned Threat scored a well-deserved win in the Group II Gimcrack Stakes.
"I've told enough people how good I thought the horse is. I was gutted at Goodwood but he got warm there," Hannon told The Racing Post.
"I've never seen a bad horse win the Gimcrack or even a moderate horse; they have to be very good. He's danced every dance and has been second to some very decent animals.
"It's nice to see him win a good race. I remember watching it [Richmond Stakes] with Chris [Richardson, Cheveley Park's racing manager] and I walked away; someone could have kicked me 30 times and I wouldn't have noticed. I was numb.
"It's only a horse race and you've got to pick yourself up and come out and find another one. That's what good horses do.
"He's in all sorts of races – the Champagne [Stakes], the Dewhurst – but he doesn't have to run in any of them. We'll work back from next year, from something like the Guineas. He's a stallion now and has won his big races as a two-year-old."
The son of Footstepsinthesand (GB) is out of the Birdstone mare Flare Of Firelight who is a half-sister to Listed winner That Which Is Not (Elusive Quality) out of the top-class Shiva who was honoured as the Champion Older mare in Europe in 1999 & 2000 where her four wins included the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
