LOPE Y FERNANDEZ X HATTORI HOLLY

 Nick considers this the best physical colt he has seen by Lope Y Fernandez. Having been foaled at Glebe Farm, he wasn't a stand out from the word go but more so one that has improved with time, exactly the type Nick get's excited about. Heading to the start of the yearling sales season, Nick was confident that this colt was the best he had this year.

Offered as Lot 407 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, he will join Jack Morland, with a 50% partnership arrangement similar to the one agreed with Saucy Jane, another daughter of Lope Y Fernandez. Saucy Jane has already provided winning days for Nick Bradley Racing and Jack, and we fully expect this colt to be another winning horse for the partnership.

His pedigree adds further interest. Lope Y Fernandez is by Lope de Vega out of a Dansili mare, while the dam, Hattori Holly, is an unraced daughter of Saxon Warrior, the 2,000 Guineas-winning son of Deep Impact. On pedigree, this combination offers an appealing balance of speed and the potential to develop as he matures. 

There is also a useful precedent within the female family. Hattori Holly is a half-sister to Heavenly Holly, a three-time winner who earned black type when placed in the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes. Heavenly Holly is by Shamardal, the sire of Lope de Vega, so our colt brings the Shamardal sire line back into a family where it has already produced a talented performer. This provides an encouraging family connection, although the exact Lope Y Fernandez–Saxon Warrior cross is still a developing one. 

Further back, his granddam Happy Holly is a half-sister to Prix de l’Opéra winner Lily Of The Valley and the high-class international performer Mubtaahij, adding depth to the pedigree. 

Band D restricted races are the intended starting point, this gives us the best oppourtinity to make a winning start to our career, Nick is very bullish by saying "HE WILL BE WINNING IN MAY/JUNE".