Mating Plans: Merry Fox Stud

[Wandering Eyes]

With a broodmare band approaching 20, Craig Bennett’s Merry Fox Stud boards mares at Fittocks Stud in England, Ireland’s Ballylinch Stud and also at Haras du Buff in France.

“All the mares are already in situ in the respective countries in which they will be covered this season,” says Bennett’s matings advisor Gary Hadden. “It’s extra important in the year of Brexit but Craig likes to have all the mares in the country where the stallions are so he is not travelling young foals.”

Among the jewels of this particular collection are Time Control (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) and Annabelle’s Charm (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), who provided Merry Fox Stud with something of an annus mirabilis in 2014 when represented by the Group 1 winners Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor) and Charming Thought (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), respectively. The Moyglare Stud S. winner Cursory Glance, who had also struck in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot in her breeder’s colours, has joined her mother at stud and is in foal to Frankel (GB), to whom she will return this year.

“She is obviously very special to Craig,” says Hadden. “His best day’s racing was winning the Albany with his wife and mother both at the races. She was an exceptional filly and we hope that she can become a foundation mare. It’s no real brainwave going to Frankel—he was brilliant and so was she.”

Time Control, whose Dubawi (Ire) yearling filly sold for 700,000gns to Godolphin last year, was rested in 2018 and is booked to visit Sea the Stars (Ire), whom Hadden believes will be a good match physically. “He also has great form over Sadler’s Wells mares,” he says. “We’re following a tried and tested route.”

Another member of the family, Cursory Glance’s half-sister Willow View (Lemon Drop Kid) was unraced but has made a good start as a broodmare with her first foal, Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), winning on debut for Chad Brown in America in January. Bennett has sent a full-sister to the 3-year-old into training with Roger Varian, and the mare is in foal to Siyouni (Fr) with a visit to Frankel on the cards.

Annabelle’s Charm, meanwhile, is in foal to Dark Angel (Ire) with a booking to Kingman (GB).

“She is quite a big mare so we have to be careful about which stallion we send her to,” Hadden notes. “Of course Kingman is a close relative to Oasis Dream, who is the sire of Charming Thought.”

Also booked to Kingman is the maiden Dancing Breeze (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), a stakes-placed half-sister to the Group 3 winner Future Generation (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who is in turn the dam of Godolphin’s multiple group-winning stayer Bruntland (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“She is from the family of Cassandra Go (Ire) and we’re trying to give her a good start. Craig has to be commercial; there’s such polarization towards the best stallions but we’re very much trying to produce a racehorse first,” explains Hadden.

Posterity (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), the dam of Dancing Breeze and Future Generation, is also among the Merry Fox broodmare band and, currently in foal to New Approach, she is one of a limited book of mares who will be visiting Cheveley Park Stud’s start veteran Pivotal.

“Pivotal mares are so successful and we’d love another daughter of Posterity. Craig is trying to build families and you can give yourself a leg-up by using a well proven broodmare sire,” offers Hadden.

Bennett enjoyed many good days at the races with his homebred multiple stakes winner Second Step (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and has given his full-sister Yellow Band (Ire) every chance at stud. She is in foal to Frankel and will visit Dubawi this season.

The operation is heavily backing Siyouni and has four mares booked to him. The quartet is comprised of Passing Parade (GB), a Cape Cross (Ire) half-sister to the top-class sprinter Regal Parade (GB) who is carrying to New Approach. Liffey Dancer (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), a sister to Listen (Ire), in foal to Distorted Humor, is another booked to travel to Normandy, as is her stakes-placed daughter Pichola Dance (Ire) (Distorted Humor), and the listed winner Alsace Lorraine (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway), whose dam is a half-sister to 1000 Guineas winner Miss France (Ire).

“With Passing Parade it’s no major surprise that we’re trying to emulate the cross which produced Laurens (Fr),” says Hadden. “We tried three or four times to buy shares in Siyouni. He suits so many different mares and different lines. From early on both he and Lope De Vega (Ire) have looked special. Their numbers have looked very good and I think Lope De Vega will continue to climb the ladder.”

With that in mind, the listed-placed Pecking Order (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Ire}), who hails from the Aga Khan’s ‘S’ family, is in foal to Lope De Vega and will return to him, while Arkadina (Ire), a Danehill half-sister to the dam of Aclaim (Ire) and from the family of Montjeu (Ire), is another in foal to Lope De Vega. She is booked to visit Derrinstown’s Tamayuz (GB) this season, while her Group 3-winning daughter Guilty Twelve (Giant’s Causeway) is currently in Japan where she is in foal to Deep Impact (Jpn) with a return visit planned.

Soofiah (GB) (King’s Best), a full-sister to dual Group 1 winner Sajjhaa (GB), joined the Merry Fox team three years ago when bought from Godolphin. She was sent to Invincible Spirit last year and will now visit Showcasing (GB).

“We were attracted to her because she is by King’s Best. We love that Kingmambo blood and we’ve gone for proven stallions with her,” notes Hadden.

They have taken the unproven route with Pontenuovo (Fr) (Green Tune), however. The G3 Prix de Cabourg winner was rested last year and is booked to Juddmonte’s newcomer, Expert Eye (GB).

Finally, Craig Bennett entered into partnership with Newsells Park Stud last December when buying the G3 Prix Penelope winner Luminate (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) for 900,000gns at Tattersalls, and she will visit the champion sire Galileo (Ire).

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