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Trillium Provides Notable Sales Boost With Molecomb Win

The juvenile's half brother is engaged in the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.

Trillium is owned and bred by the Keswick family's Rockcliffe Stud

Trillium is owned and bred by the Keswick family's Rockcliffe Stud

Edward Whitaker/Racing Post

Around 24 hours after the catalog was revealed for next month's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, a significant new update will be needed for the printers.

It will come for Lot 113, an Iffraaj colt who is a half brother to July 27 Markel Molecomb Stakes (G3) winner Trillium and due to be consigned by Highclere Stud on behalf of the Keswick family's Rockcliffe Stud at the event running Aug. 23-24.

Trillium is the latest juvenile group winner for Coolmore's very much in-form stallion No Nay Never, whose 22 individuals to strike at that level also include the recent Darley Prix Robert Papin (G2) winner Blackbeard and Little Big Bear, who collected the Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Anglesey Stakes (G3) at The Curragh a day earlier to add to his prize in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

No Nay Never's flagbearer in the older division, the ultra-reliable Darley July Cup (G1) winner Alcohol Free, ran a brave race on the same Goodwood card in attempting to defend her Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) title, battling on for third behind the Shadwell phenomenon Baaeed.

Trillium is the third foal out of the Invincible Spirit mare Marsh Hawk, who was a very smart juvenile herself who won twice, finishing second in the Country Gentlemen's Association Dick Poole Stakes (G3) at Salisbury and then fourth in the Dubai Fillies Mile (G1) behind Together Forever in 2014.

Rockcliffe Stud had earlier bought into a Hesmonds Stud family, which includes the Queen's top-class Carlton House on the page under Trillium's fourth dam, through Trillium's stakes-placed granddam, Asaawir.

A half brother to Mohawk King, who had also shown early promise for the Richard Hannon stable before moving Stateside, Trillium has come a long way for the same yard very quickly and only made her racing debut when finishing second in a maiden at this course June 17.

One win at Newbury later and she showed a striking turn of foot close to the stands' rail under Pat Dobbs Wednesday, quickening past colts, including hot favorite and recent Coral Dragon Stakes winner Rocket Rodney, to win in style. 

Last year at Goodwood, Rockcliffe's star product, Snow Lantern, was third in the Sussex after landing the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (G1) at Newmarket. She is famously a Frankel  daughter of the brilliant gray QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) and multiple group 1 winner Sky Lantern.

"It's absolutely fantastic for the stud, she's a homebred," said Ed Sackville, a racing and bloodstock adviser to the family.

"They were offered a lot of money for the dam after she won her maiden by seven lengths at Newmarket; she was also a homebred, but the Keswick family turned it down. Thank God they did because they've been rewarded with what looks like a very nice, very exciting prospect going forward.

"She'll be a nice broodmare for them too. We've still got the mare, she's young, and there's plenty to look forward to with her. The half brother is for sale at Doncaster; the reserve has just gone up!"

Auctioneer Henry Beeby at Goffs UK in Doncaster during their 2 day sales 2.9.20 Pic: Edward Whitaker
Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post
Auctioneer Henry Beeby at Goffs UK in Doncaster

Iffraaj was also an interesting link to another of the day's winners as his daughter State Occasion maintained her progressive profile in the European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies' Handicap Stakes.

Her full brother, Forest of Dean, had been a laughably impressive winner of a valuable handicap at this meeting three years ago and has been seen sporadically since for the John and Thady Gosden stable.

State Occasion is trained, like her dam Forest Crown was, by Ralph Beckett and hails from Car Colston Hall Stud's keynote Wiener Wald family, a branch of which also includes its group 1 flagbearer Brando and another very fine sprinter in Reckless Abandon.

Beckett said: "Her owners (The Eclipse Partnership) will want me to look for some black type and we will get there eventually. There are a couple of fillies' listed races on the Polytrack in the autumn. We might plan that route. I think 10 furlongs is her gig, and there is also a race in France."

Forest Crown, who was stakes-placed on several occasions herself, has provided her Nottinghamshire farm with some six-figure yearlings, including a Wootton Bassett colt bought for 200,000gns (US$285,770) by SackvilleDonald at Tattersalls Book 1 last October.