Foal Watch: week four

Right, we don’t want to hype this up too much, but this week is going to be an overload of cuteness, so strap in as we take a look at the most exciting foals of the week.

IVAWOOD

A dual Group 2 winner, Ivawood was also seen in the 2015 edition of the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and will be hoping that this colt can follow in his footsteps. Out of Gallante, who was placed out in France, he was born at 5am this morning and weighed in at 65kg. This handsome colt has already been spending a lot of time in front of the camera and is described as being ‘flashy’ with ‘a lovely temperament’ by Natalie Folland, Stud Manager at Elkington Stud.

If that wasn’t enough, Ivawood has also produced a bay filly earlier this week out of Romp, who was a winner in Italy. The first foal of the year for Elkington Stud, she was described by Folland as a ‘real queen’ and ‘classy’ so could certainly be one for future British Champions Series races.

Speaking about Ivawood, who is a first season stallion for Coolmore, Folland added: “We’re delighted with the pair of them. They’re both real quality foals with plenty of presence. We couldn’t be happier with them. We’d definitely use Ivawood again if he stamps them all like this.”

LETHAL FORCE

Two-time Champions Series winner Lethal Force has also had a busy week, welcoming two foals in to the world recently. The sprinter, who won the 2013 Diamond Jubilee Stakes and Darley July Cup gave Carmel Stud its first foal of the year. Out of Secret Era, the accompanying hashtag of #longlegs bodes well for this filly who could well be a potential star.

His second was a little more camera-shy, but this picture posted on Twitter by Greg Parsons of Upperwood Farm & Stud shows their first foal of the year alongside ‘mum’, Desert Kiss.

MUKHADRAM

The 2014 Coral-Eclipse winner sired this colt which was the first of the year for former England footballer-turned racing addict Michael Owen. Out of Present Danger, who was part-owned by Owen, this young colt will be hoping to give Owen even more memorable days in the future.

DUE DILIGENCE

A regular in Foal Watch, we’ve seen quite a few of Due Diligence’s progeny this year and this is the latest addition. The colt – described as ‘belting’ by Whitsbury Manor Stud – is a bay out of a chestnut mare!

FREE EAGLE

We profiled his first foal in week two of Foal Watch and here is the latest from the 2015 Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner, Free Eagle. Bred out of Dundel’s Spirit by Con Harrington, this filly was pictured at two weeks old and could potentially be very smart judging by the female line in his own breeding.

BORN TO SEA

A Listed winner in Ireland, Born To Sea twice featured in Champions Series races when appearing in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and when finishing fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot in 2012.

He’ll be hoping his progeny can go even further in the Series, starting with this lovely colt. He comes from quite the family with Born To Sea a brother of both Sea The Stars and Galileo.

NOBLE MISSION and SWISS SPIRIT

A firm Champions Series favourite, Noble Mission was last seen winning the QIPCO Champion Stakes back in 2014 and will be hoping that his progeny can follow in those fairly sizeable footsteps. Meanwhile, we’ve been already profiled Swiss Spirit’s career as a stallion in a previous edition.

Details on these foals are sketchy, but we couldn’t resist including these wonderful images from photographer Dan Heap. The sleeping foal is by Noble Mission, whilst the one with a spring in his step is by Swiss Spirit.