Seven-Figure Half Brother to Angel Bleu Set for Debut
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Photo: Zuzanna Lupa Photography
Swordofhonor was the highest-priced colt at the 2021 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale
The frost and freezing temperatures may have taken out most of the action Dec. 17 but hopefully there will still be a fascinating newcomer for fans to catch a glimpse of at Lingfield in the talkSPORT Powered By Fans EBF Novice Stakes.
Sporting the silks of Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and trained by Andrew Balding, Swordofhonor clearly has the pedigree to be a top-class performer.
The 2-year-old colt by Siyouni was bred by Pan Sutong Racing Bloodstock and made quite an impact at Arqana's August Yearling Sale, selling to Oliver St Lawrence for €1,500,000 (US$1,769,413) when offered by Ecurie des Monceaux.
That is not a surprise when one takes into account his pedigree. He is the second foal out of the placed Galileo mare Cercle de La Vie , a full sister to the multiple top-level-winning globetrotter Highland Reel , Australian group 1 scorer Cape Of Good Hope and Hardwicke Stakes victor Idaho .
Swordofhonor is therefore a half brother to the 2021 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium (G1) and Criterium International (G1) winner Angel Bleu , a son of Dark Angel who sported the colors of Marc Chan to those two group 1 wins as well as success in the Unibet Vintage Stakes (G2) at Goodwood.
Angel Bleu wins the 2021 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp
The colt, himself a €100,000 ($141,286) private sale from Monceaux at Arqana in 2020, was third in the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes (G3) to Perfect Power in April and returns to the track in 2023 having sustained an injury in the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) this summer.
Assuming Lingfield passes a 7:30 a.m. local time inspection, Swordofhonor is set to face nine rivals, including Queen Regent, Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion half sister to group 3 winners Astrophysical Jet , Know It All , and Coral Wave ; Ziryab, a Kingman full brother to the useful King Leonidas and a 525,000gns ($749,423) purchase by Juddmonte from Hazelwood Bloodstock at Tattersalls Book 2; and Waipiro, a son of Australia and half brother to multiple Hong Kong group 1 winner Waikuku.