Life’s a Breege for Chasemore - but until Derby day they weren’t convinced (2024)

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Here, Kitty Trice speaks to Chasemore Farm's Andrew Black about last Saturday's Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner Breege – subscribers can get more great insight every Monday to Friday.

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You’d be forgiven for overlooking the undercard on Derby day, such were the trumpets sounding for City Of Troy’s glorious return to form with a sparkling success in the Betfred Derby.

But that would be doing Chasemore Farm’s likeable Breege a huge disservice. Her gritty win in the second race, the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, proved an emotional one for her owner-breeder, and Betfair co-founder, Andrew Black.

It was a long time between drinks for the Starspangledbanner filly, her previous victory having come on her debut at Wetherby in May 2022. That day she dropped a big hint of what was to come, pulling five and a half lengths clear of the field.

Her 11-race losing streak does not convey the whole story, far from it, as the four-year-old ran some crackers in defeat, including in finishing runner-up in the Group 3 Prestige Fillies' Stakes and Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes, while she filled the same position, beaten just a head, in the Listed October Stakes at Ascot last autumn.

So what does the Chasemore Farm supremo make of the filly’s maiden Group-race victory, one which was a long time in the making?

Black says: “It’s really interesting because when you speak to the jockey, he says, ‘She’s got more.’ She’s one of these horses who when she gets to the front, while she’s not ungenuine, she just doesn’t go on.

“She will hit the front and is quite happy there, she won’t go again until something comes up to her. So we kept being mugged. If you dropped her down to handicap level it would still happen as you’d still be exposed to a fast finisher.

“It’s very interesting, as it makes you think she could carry on and keep performing at the same level.”

Consistency is a quality the John and Sean Quinn-trained filly has in abundance, with seven placings in total to go with her two victories from 13 outings. All being well, the half-sister to Bahraini winner Illuminated could attempt another black-type strike in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.

With more than a hint of pride in his voice, Black adds: “We love her, she’s a lovely type and a big-framed horse. We thought this would be her year because she was just a little bit lean last year; she didn’t look fully furnished.

“I always intended to keep her in training as a four-year-old, she deserved to win races like this but, at the back of your mind, you are thinking, ‘Maybe her day will never come’. So it’s such a relief we’ve managed to get her head in front. We were thrilled and quite emotional because we weren’t sure it was ever going to happen.”

The Group 3 win on Derby day under Jason Hart was a big deal for the whole Chasemore team, including farm manager Jack Conroy.

Black says: “It meant an enormous lot, Jack was almost beside himself on Saturday, he was so, so happy. It’s a great boost for the team and we’ve got that little association with Epsom, so it was a special day.”

While any further wins would be the cherry on top of the icing, broodmare duties beckon for Breege next year.

Sadly, her dam, the Zoffany mare Wowcha, died in November 2021, leaving Breege as her sole daughter. It will, therefore, rest on her to continue the family line.

Black says: “I’d pretty much decided she’ll retire at the end of this year. She’d do well as a five-year-old I’m sure, but having lost her mum and being the only one [filly], I think we’d want to get her home and start breeding from her.”

Breege is not only in possession of a fine racing record, she has a quality pedigree to boot. Her dam was a half-sister to Starspangledbanner’s Prix Morny and Coventry Stakes winner The Wow Signal, as well as to last season’s Airlie Stud Stakes winner Matrika, by No Nay Never.

Another half-sibling to Wowcha is Unicorn Lion, a dual Group 3 winner in Japan and another by Coolmore’s champion two-year-old sire.

There are no prizes for guessing who Breege will visit in 2025.

“I’d be absolutely certain she would go to No Nay Never,” says Black. “If you look at the family and Matrika and Unicorn Lion, both those No Nay Nevers have done extremely well and it appears to be a very strong nick for the family.

“Breege’s mother was by Zoffany and quite heavily inbred to Northern Dancer, but she is by Starspangledbanner. To me, it looks an automatic mating with No Nay Never – we wouldn’t really think about anything else for the first mating.”

Other welcome news to pass on is that this year’s foaling season has proved to be generally straightforward for the stud, in Cobham, Surrey.

“It’s been good, we had a couple of problems early on but it’s been really smooth since then,” reports Black. “We’ve got some really interesting foals on the ground, the weights have been good this year and I’m pretty happy all-round.

“I’m really enjoying breeding at the moment as there are some interesting new stallions who have come through in the last few years.”

Black’s pragmatic approach to running the stud is well-documented. He has previously told Racing Post Bloodstock: “I think that too much sentimentality can hold you back and this business owes it to itself to be as successful as it possibly can.”

While sentimentality may not play a big role in Black’s gameplan, he is open to the ideas of others when it comes to coverings.

One foal born out of Prestige Stakes winner Boomer is testament to taking on board the views of colleagues.

“Boomer had a colt foal by New Bay and he’s really eyecatching,” says Black, who runs Chaesmore with wife Jane.

“It wasn’t a mating I would have chosen myself; it was our vet Pat Sells’ idea as he really wanted to send her to New Bay, and she’s produced this little, muscly powerhouse who looks awesome.”

Exceed And Excel mare Miss Jingles, a Godolphin-bred sister to Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Mischief Magic, is new to the broodmare band. A dual winner for Charlie Appleby, she was picked up by Black after she had sold to Cap Bloodstock at the Tattersalls July Sale in 2022.

Black says: “She’s had a colt foal by Mehmas. He’s a strong, high-energy foal – he’s irritating for the handlers as he’s always bouncing out of his skin – and I’ll be really interested to see how he grows up. He could be very interesting.”

A mare bought directly from that July Sale was Group 1 Matron Stakes winner and stakes producer Chachamaidee. An established broodmare whose progeny includes dual Meydan Group 2 winner Valiant Prince and Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes victress Klassique, her latest foal has caught Black’s eye.

“I think my favourite is out of Chachamaidee,” he says. “I bought her as a 15-year-old, which is always a concern when paying a fair bit of money for a mare.

“I sent her to Zarak and she produced a colt who was quite a late foal, he was the last of ours to arrive, but he’s doing really well.

“He’s very correct and I’ll be watching him grow up hoping he turns into something nice.”

What do you think?

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