Prince of Lir Gets First Winner in Record Time

Freshman sire Prince of Lir got off the mark at stud with the aptly named The Lir Jet, an impressive winner of the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Auction Stakes at Yarmouth June 3 for trainer Michael Bell.

Showing plenty of early speed and know-how, The Lir Jet cut out much of the running to go clear by 2 3/4 lengths. He was clocked in :59 over the five-furlong trip, breaking the all-aged record at the track, and could try to emulate his sire by lining up at Royal Ascot.

Prince of Lir himself showed an abundance of early speed and precocity during his sole year of racing at 2, winning the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot on just his second start after selling for £170,000 at the 2016 Goffs UK breeze-up.

Moreover, Prince of Lir's sire, Kodiac, is a leading source of 2-year-old winners. Among Kodiac's 370 juvenile winners, 80 managed to achieve black type at 2. Prince of Lir is a half brother to listed winner Nitro Boost and is out of a half sister to 110-rated sprinter Resplendent Glory, asserting his strong credentials to sire sharp horses.

The Ballyhane Stud resident stands at a fee of €4,000 this year alongside Dandy Man, Soldier's Call, and Elzaam, and the stud's roster has made a strong early start to the season. Elzaam sired the runner-up to The Lir Jet through the David O'Meara-trained Steadman, while multiple group 1-producing sire Dandy Man, a leading source of early winners, got his first juvenile success of the season Tuesday when Karl Burke's Dandalla made a winning debut at Newcastle.

Prince of Lir's crop of 77 2-year-olds realized up to 260,000 guineas as yearlings. His top lot, named Siam Fox, is a three-parts brother to German Two Thousand Guineas (G2) winner Fox Champion. In training with Richard Hannon for King Power Racing, the colt is entered at Newmarket June 7. Other trainers with his progeny include Wesley Ward, Archie Watson, and Karl Burke.

The Lir Jet was bred by Hong Kong-based businessman Donal Boylan and realized €9,500 (US$10,797) to Joe Foley at the Tattersalls Ireland Flat Breeding Stock Sale when consigned by Rockton Stud. Reoffered at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, breeze-up rider and consignor Robson Aguiar purchased the March foal for £8,000 ($9,776).

The colt was due to be offered at the Ascot breeze-up sale by Aguiar but was withdrawn after the rescheduling of the breeze-up due to coronavirus restrictions, instead joining Bell for his son Nick.

The Lir Jet, inbred 4x3 to Danzig, is out of a winning daughter of influential sire Green Desert.

The fact that The Lir Jet is one of Prince of Lir's less expensive colts bodes well for his future runners coming through. He is likely to sire plenty of juvenile winners this season, and it could continue Thursday when Off Galavanting, one of three horses by the sire to have already been placed, lines up at Lyon-Parilly for trainer Andrew Hollinshead and owner Theresa Marnane.

Marnane's husband, Con, breezed Prince of Lir in 2016 in addition to breeding Siam Fox.