Fastnet Rock's Daughters are Gold

Mark Smith - Sunday March 24

While Coolmore Stud's senior citizen Fastnet Rock may be in the twilight of an extraordinary career, his influence only grows stronger through his daughters, who have the son of Danehill on the verge of his first Champion Broodmare Sire title.

Fastnet Rock - his daughters are gold (image Mark Smith)

Fastnet Rock is the sire of Yulong's imported wrecking ball Via Sistina (IRE), who banked the $580,000 winner's cheque at her Australian debut in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes. Not many missed the performance of another Fastnet Rock import, Buckaroo (IRE) in third.

Daughters of Fastnet Rock produced the Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot and third-placed Storm Boy.

Lady Of Camelot (image Steve Hart)

There would be few more valuable mares in Australia than Sir Owen Glenn's Fastnet Rock mare Miss Debutante.

The winner of four of her eight starts, including the Listed SconeRC Denise's Joy Stakes, Miss Debutante kicked off her second career the right way with four-time Group III winner Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible); made it two in a row with Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes winner and Magic Millions 2yo Classic runner-up Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar); then took it to another level with third foal Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon), who added Saturday's Group 1 Golden Slipper to her add to her win in the Group III ATC Widden Stakes, and runner-up in the Group 1 Blue Diamond.

Paul Moroney Bloodstock purchased Miss Debutante for $430,000 from the Kia Ora Stud draft at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She has a yearling colt by Flying Artie and a filly foal by I Am Invincible. She missed for the first time in 2023.

To keep the Yulong connection going, Grunt's first Group 1 winner, Veight, is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Neena Rock, the winner of the Group III WRC Cuddle Stakes (1600m) in New Zealand and the Group III Angst Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Yulong purchased Neena Rock for $500,000 at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale. She has a 2-year-old sister to Veight named Rock Pop in the McEvoy stable.

After foaling a Tagaloa colt in November, Neena Rock was bred back to Grunt.

Veight (image Racing Photos)

At Morphettville, the Zoustar mare Climbing Star went someway to repaying her $600,000 purchase price by Phillip Stokes Racing Pty Ltd / Rick Connolly Bloodstock at Easter when opening her stakes account in the Listed Matrice Stakes and avenging her close seconds in the Group II Fillies Classic and $250,000 Inglis Bracelet.

A half-sister to two-time Group III winner Sansom, Climbing Star is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Bryony.

A sister to Group 1 winner and successful stallion Heroic Valour and a half to Group 1 Doncaster Mile winner Triple Honour, Bryony was a $700,000 purchase for David Redvers at the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Owned by Qatar Bloodstock, Bryony foaled a sister to Climbing Star last spring and was bred back to the Widden Stud stallion.

The VRC Derby and Rosehill Guineas hero Riff Rocket (American Pharoah) is the first Group 1 winner for a daughter of Fastnet Rock's son Smart Missile.

The 22-year-old Fastnet Rock covered 16 mares last spring, his 19th season at Coolmore. Lady Of Camelot and Veight's wins took his Group 1 broodmare tally to twelve.

The Honour Roll of Group 1 winners out of Fastnet Rock mares.