KODIAC X WILD IMPALA

 After viewing Wednesday’s breeze’s several times alongside the data behind the breeze’s, we put together a shortlist which was helped in part behind our recent trips to Ireland Newmarket which we believe gave us an edge over the bulk of the interested parties at the sale who are seeing these catalogued horsed for the first time and judging them on a twenty five second timestamp on the day.

Just last year we managed to purchase Glamis Road from this very sale for just 30,000gns, she would go on to be a Listed winner for us as a two year old and she is worth significantly more than her purchase price now after multiple blacktype places. Marshman is also a big success story to come from the sale, making it two stakes winners purchased from the last three sales, again purchased for just 38,000gns, highlighting once again that we punch well above our weight, comments we expect to be echoing in twelve months time.

We've purchased three stakes winner from the last four seasons of breeze up sales for an average price of just £28,000!

This filly first came onto our radar on a recent visit to Ireland, both Nick and Sam James saw around thirty five fillies and this filly caught the eye both on the physically and on the clock that day. We decided against submitting an offer as Sam never sat on her personally and we knew that the consignor would be looking for a significant fee to prevent her from heading to the breeze up sales and in truth, we probably thought she would be above and beyond our budget this week.

Breeze Data

She recorded the 26th fastest time of the 176 horses that came down the Town Moor on Wednesday.

Whilst times aren't everything, it's always nice to see a horse come down in good form and this filly presented herself with one of the most impressive breezes on the day. She was improving right throughout her breeze, with her head down and the further she went, the better she went. Her second furlong was the 15th fastest on the day and we were pretty determined to get her, just as Adrian Keatley was. Whilst she was effective on the quick ground on Wednesday, there could be further improvement to follow based on her action which may suggest that some softer ground would really suit her.

Pedigree

This filly is by Kodiac, one of the leading names on the stallion list for many years now. He's responsible for a long list of stallions himself, Kodi Bear, Adaay, Hello Youmzain, Coulsty and Nando Parrado are all progeny of Kodiac. He stands at Tally Ho Stud for €25,000 and despite his ripe age of twenty five, he continues to produce some of the leading horses year on year, just last year he produced group one winning filly Babouche and group three winner, Symbol of Strength, who Adrian Keatley trains and also bought at Goffs.

She is out of a mare called Wild Impala, who was a Newmarket maiden winner for John Gosden before going over to France to continue her racing career. She is a relation to multiple blacktype horses, with nine of her ten siblings being winners.

Wild Impala is by Monsieur Bond, who is a capable dam sire, with his best result being Listed winner Time's Arrow who was also sired by Redoute's Choice, a son of Danehill, just like Kodiac.

Trainer

Adrian Keatley has enjoyed a couple of years of really strong growth since his arrival in Britain which follow his classic exploits in Ireland and he continues to increase his quality year on year. This has seen a a big development of Adrian's yard over the winter with a large additional American barn being erected.

He has enjoyed some top level success from the breeze up sales, Ballymount Boy was a listed winner and group two placed following his purchase from the Goresbridge breeze up. His success with his 2yo's has increased year on year, 2024 saw Symbol Of Strength win the group three Sirenia Stakes following a third place in the group two Gimcrack whilst Francisco's Piece won the Listed Prix La Fleche at Chantilly.

Racing plans

Adrian is very keen to start this filly in the highest of company given his level of expectation for her.

He is no stranger to runners at York, hes amassed almost £300,000 in prize money on the Knavesmire which has included placings in both the Acomb and Ebor. Of his fifty runners, almost half of them have finished in the first four when running at York.

We've earmarked a historically prestigious novice at the track on the 15th May and we'll work back from debuting in that race. She will have a quiet seven days before working at his Malton base to put us right for the date above.

We have high expectations that this filly will be in stakes company there on after and she should be an exciting filly for her owners in 2025 and beyond with races in France already being discussed.

15th May York 6f novice 30k

17th May Newmarket 6f novice fillies 40k

17th May Thirsk 5f maiden fillies

18th May Ripon 6f novice fillies

19th May Carlisle 5f novice fillies 40k

21st May Kempton BCD novice fillies

23rd May Haydock 6f maiden fillies

24th May Goodwood 6f maiden fillies

24th May Beverley 5f Hilary Needler 50k

28th May Kempton 6f maiden fillies

29th May Ripon 6f novice fillies

31st May Lingfield 7f maiden fillies

2nd June Wetherby 5.5f BCD maiden fillies

5th June Hamilton 6f maiden fillies

7th June Doncaster 7f novice fillies

9th June Pontefract 6f BCD maiden fillies

11th June Kempton 7f maiden fillies

13th June Goodwood 6f BCD maiden fillies

15th June Doncaster 7f maiden fillies

17th June Thirsk 6f novice fillies

19th June Wetherby 7f BCD maiden fillies