1.7million Filly a Debut Winner for St Marks Basilica

Tara Madgwick - Sunday August 10

The top lot at the 2024 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she made a winning debut overnight at The Curragh.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Wayne Lordan, Diamond Necklace was doing her best work on the line to forge clear and win by a length and a half over her stablemate Minerva, a daughter of Frankel.

Advertisement

"She’s a lovely filly with a great pedigree. Her dad didn’t win a maiden for another three weeks so that’s St Mark’s Basilica for you. He went on to win the Dewhurst and how he improved from two to three was incredible,” said Aidan O’Brien.

"She could end up being one for the Fillies' Mile (G1) with maybe a run or two in between. She’s going to be lovely next year."

Diamond Necklace sold for 1.7million euros to top the Arqana August Yearling Sale - image Arqana

Diamond Necklace was bred by Ecurie des Monceaux and Skymarc Farm and is the half-sister to Group I winners Magic Wand and Chiquita (dam of Group II winner Emily Dickinson), as well as Group III winner Philomene.

She is the ninth winner from 10 foals to race from stakes-winning Dansili mare Prudenzia.

Pedigree

Diamond Necklace is the second new winner in as many days for St Mark’s Basilica after Thesecretadversary won the Listed Churchill Stakes at Tipperary on Friday and he very nearly had another stakes-winner on Saturday when Princess Petrol was beaten a neck for second in the Group III Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket.

St Mark's Basilica (Fr), click for more info.

St Mark’s Basilica has now sired seven first crop winners and returns to Coolmore Australia at a fee of $38,500.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Pride of Jenni Too Good for Treasurethe Moment in G2 Feehan
Pride of Jenni might be an eight year-old mare that is drawing ever closer to the end of her glorious career, but there was a sparkle in her eye before the Group II MVRC Feehan Stakes (1600m) and it was the Jenni of old that ran her rivals ragged at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Horse Trading Stock Issues to Avoid
One of the key areas in thoroughbred taxation is accounting for trading stock and ensuring the tax closing value is properly ascertained. You’d be quite surprised of the enormous difference to the tax position of any racing player where trading stock problems occur.
Expensive I Am Invincible Mare Wins G1 Manikato
The highest priced filly at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale when selling for $1.55million, I Am Invincible filly Charm Stone has been a star from day one and is now a two time Group I winner after landing her second victory at the top level with a dominant win in the $2million MVRC Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Ardrossan Filly Wins First Kiwi Juvenile Race of New Season
Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece.
Sires With Winners - Friday September 26
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Golden Rose Colts – Sires of the Future
The $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose (1400m) this Saturday offers the winner far more than prizemoney and assuming it’s a colt he is given a golden ticket to a commercial stud career, so let’s take a look at this year’s contenders, who would you want on your stallion roster in 2026?
Sires With Winners - Thursday September 25
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Deserving Stakes Success For Splash Back (Fr)
Unlucky not to already has a stakes victory on her resume, the Grahame Begg trained French-bred Le Havre mare Splash Back (Fr) broke through on Friday night at Moonee Valley, winning the $300,000 Group 2 MVRC Stock Stakes (1500m).
Manhattan Rain Gold Rush in WA
Geisel Park won’t be the only WA breeder on board when the first locally-conceived 2yo crop of its Group 1 sire Manhattan Rain get mobile this season.
€1.9million Sale-Topping Colt Wins G3 Somerville Stakes
The Group III Somerville Stakes (7f) was run at Newmarket overnight with the Godolphin blue carried by exciting Night of Thunder colt Distant Storm, who they purchased for a sale-topping €1.9million at the Arqana May Breeze Up Sale earlier this year.