Danehill’s prolific winner getter Kodiac has tasted Group I success as a sire of sires with his Group II winning son Ardad siring Perfect Power to win the Group I Prix Morny (1000m) at Deauville overnight, a fact sure to interest Cambridge Stud, who will stand the only son of Kodiac in Australasia in Group I sprinter Hello Youmzain (Fr).
Based at Overbury Stud, Ardad stands at a fee of 4,000 pounds, but is riding high on the European first crop sires list having sired 17 winners with Perfect Power the best of them.
Trained by Richard Fahey, Perfect Power won the Group II Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and was a last start unlucky fifth in the Group II Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
Ridden quietly by Christophe Soumillon, Perfect Power came with a sensational late burdt to defeat the Coolmore owned Wootton Bassett colt Trident by a length and a quarter.
“I was panicking there - maybe Christophe wasn't but he's a better jockey than I ever was or ever will be but it was just great to see him coming through,” said Richard Fahey.
“Myself, Sheikh Rashid and Richard Brown, who bought Perfect Power, had a discussion about four or five weeks ago and it was always Richmond, Middle Park and here. I can't see any reason to change it.”
Bought from the Goffs Breeze Up Sale this year for 110,000 pounds by Blandford Bloodstock, Perfect Power has three wins from five starts and is the first winner for Sagely, a winning half-sister to stakes-placed Sagaciously from the family of Group I stars Sagamix, Sageburg, Sagawara and more recently Japan and Mogul.
Ardad is currently second on the European First Crop Sires List by winners, a statistic that bodes well for dual Group I winner Hello Youmzain, who stands his first season at Cambridge Stud at a fee of $30,000.