Just a few weeks into the new flat season in Europe, Galileo is already putting a space on his rivals but this is going to be a shout-out for our own home-grown champion Fastnet Rock.
The son of Danehill has five stakes winners of seven races in Europe this season to date, second only to perennial champion Galileo who has nine individual stakes winners of nine races.
Four of Fastnet Rocks five stakes winner have won Group races.
On April 9 Diamond Fields won the Group III Gladness Stakes at Naas and Fas won the Group III Prix Sigy at Chantilly.
Torcedor won the Group III Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan on April 23 and the star of the team, the 4yo mare Somehow won the Group II Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on May 7, a week after winning a Listed race at Gowran Park.
On the local front, Fastnet Rock is having another successful season although it seems that making up a $2 million deficit on Snitzel and Street Cry (IRE) is a bridge too far.
Sir Owen Glenn's Miss Debutante looks capable of winning Saturday's Listed Coolmore Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone but will need all of Tommy Berry's skills to overcome barrier 20.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Fastnet Rock filly has won three of five starts including a battling win at Canterbury at her most recent start.
Kia-Ora Stud houses some of the best imported blood in the nation and Miss Debutante's dam More Than Real (USA) could take her place in any broodmare band in the world.
A $430,000 Easter Yearling sale purchase, Miss Debutante (pictured as a yearling) is the first foal of More Than Real (USA).
A high-class daughter of More Than Ready (USA), More Than Real was acquired by celebrity chef Bobby Flay after breaking her maiden at Saratoga.
Runner-up in the Grade II Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, More Than Real rounded out her juvenile year with a resounding win in the Grade II Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, More Than Real took a trip across the Atlantic to make her 3-year-old bow in the Group I Coronation Stakes at Ascot. She did not strike a blow there but returned home to place in the Grade 1 Garden City Stakes at Belmont and the Grade II Lake George Stakes at Saratoga.
More Than Real (USA) is one of three winners out of Miss Seffens a 5-time stakes winner by that excellent broodmare sire Dehere (USA).
A full sister to Miss Debutante was purchased by Paul Perry for $560,000 at the 2016 Inglis Yearling sale, while a brother went through the same sale in 2017 without making his $250,000 reserve.
More Than Real (USA) has a weanling Snitzel colt and was covered by Exceed And Excel last spring.
