Australian breeder Bob Scarborough has a small band of mares based in Ireland and one of them, 13YO Galileo mare Cabaret, produced the winner of the Group I Dewhurst Stakes (7f) at Newmarket overnight.
Cabaret had already achieved Group I success as a broodmare having delivered dual Group I winner Magna Grecia, currently in Australia shuttling to Coolmore, and she did it again with progressive Siyouni colt St Mark’s Basilica.
Third at his previous outing in the Group I National Stakes at The Curragh, the Aidan O’Brien trained colt produced a career best performance at odds of 10-1 to score a three-quarter length win under Frankie Dettori over Wembley (Galileo) and Thunder Moon (Zoffany).
The race showcased the largest field for the Dewhurst since 15 lined up in 2009 and it was packed with talented colts.
While a few of them ran below expectations, the first three from the National Stakes filled the top three places again, albeit in a different order this time, each of them looking genuine Guineas contenders.
“You'd think the first three look like they are proper Guineas horses, don't they? They have speed and were getting seven furlongs well,” said Aidan O’Brien, who also trains the runner-up, while his son Joseph prepares the third horse.
“Frankie gave St Mark’s Basilica a lovely ride and he'd run a lovely race at the Curragh when Ryan said he was a bit green and babyish. He thought he was going to come forward a good bit. He's genuine, tough and has class as well.”
A 1.3million guinea purchase from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for MV Mabnier on behalf of a Coolmore partnership, St Mark’s Basilica has the overall record of two wins and two placings from five starts.
He is the second Group I winner among four winners from Group III winner Cabaret, a half-sister by Galileo to Group III winner Drumfire and stakes-winner Ho Choi.
St Mark’s Basilica is the 39th stakes-winner and fifth Group I winner for Pivotal’s top class son Siyouni, the sire of last weekend’s Arc de Triomphe hero Sottsass, who has been retired to stand at Coolmore in 2021.
He is the tenth Group I winner bred on a powerful nick between Galileo and Pivotal that runs at 10% stakes-winners to runners with Sottsass also from a daughter of Galileo.
St Mark’s Basilica’s half-brother Magna Grecia has been popular with Australian breeders this spring.
Standing at Coolmore this spring, Magna Grecia is a half-brother to st Mark's Basilica
A Group I winner at two and three, the son of Invincible Spirit stands at a fee of $22,000.
