Prized Icon

Prized Icon, a classic winner with a speed pedigree, won elite honours at two and three for young trainer James Cummings. Bred on the successful More Than Ready (USA)-Danehill (USA) cross, this Gooree bred star begins his stud career at the Lamont family’s Kooringal Stud, in the new season.

[Published: April 2019]

WHEN the English Oaks winner Marchioness, in foal to Stockwell, stepped on to Australian soil in 1860 the classic winner was a rare gem indeed among the country’s small colonial thoroughbred band. Her family is still going strong to this day and its members include dual Gr.1 winner Prized Icon who begins his stud career at the Lamont family’s Kooringal Stud at Wagga Wagga in the spring.

This winner of the Champagne Stakes-Gr.1 at two and VRC Derby-Gr.1 at three has a lot to offer breeders, being a son of one of the very best shuttlers in More Than Ready (USA) (Southern Halo-Woodman’s Girl
by Woodman (USA) and the two year-old stakes winner Tropical Affair, a daughter of champion sire Danehill (USA) and the Bletchingly mare Just as Lovely. You could hardly get a more appealing or commercial pedigree and his first season fee of $11,000 looks very good value for a horse of his calibre as he recorded
18 first three placings in 33 starts and earnings of $2.167m.

Although his Derby win came over 2500m, Prized Icon revealed plenty of speed for trainer James Cummings when he was third behind subsequent Golden Slipper winner Capitalist on debut in the Breeders’ Plate-LR (1000m) on October 3, 2015, the first Sydney event for juvenile colts each season.

Put away until the following January, he struck a heavy (8) track when third behind Scarlet Rain over 1000m at Randwick and the following month he was runner-up to Telperion in an 1100m Listed event there. Later in the month the two year-old won a 900m trial (54.60) at Rosehill and a few days later was third behind Defcon in the Black Opal-Gr.3 (1200m) in Canberra and then placed again on March 26 when a close second behind Attention in the Baillieu-Gr.3 (1400m).

Bred and raced by Gooree Stud, Prized Icon’s consistent form paid off next start when he broke through to win the historic Fernhill Handicap-LR (1600m) by two lengths at Randwick on April 9 and he made it a stakes double on April 16 when he defeated Chimboraa by a length (Divine Prophet third) in the Champagne Stakes-Gr.1 (1600m), giving his young trainer his first solo Gr.1 success. Gooree had offered the colt via the Widden Stud draft at Easter 2015 but he failed to make his $300,000 reserve, being passed-in at $250,000.

The win was even more memorable as Cummings is married to Monica Barrera, the granddaughter of Filipino businessman and Gooree principal Eduardo Cojuangco, a long-time supporter of the Australian breeding industry.

“He’s a tough horse this horse, he’s loved his training the whole way through,” James Cummings said after the win. “We have just done plenty of long slow work in the past week and he’s loved it. It’s great to get a Gr.1 winner for Gooree and another Gr.1 winner for More Than Ready, what a stallion.”

Put away until early in the new season, the handsome brown was fourth behind Divine Prophet in the Up and Coming-Gr.3 (1300m) at Randwick on August 20, 2016, unplaced behind Hartnell in the Chelmsford-Gr.2
on a heavy (8) track on September 16 after being second at the 400m and then a close third in the Gloaming-Gr.3 (1800m) behind Valadero and Honeywine on September 24. Back in Gr.1 company on October 8, he was
a close third to Yankee Rose and Swear on a good track over the Randwick 2000m in the Spring Champion Stakes.

He was mid-field behind Sacred Elixir in the Moonee Valley Vase on October 22, but turned the tables on the winner next time out, beating him into second place to take the VRC Derby-Gr.1 (2500m) at Flemington by 2.5 lengths a week later, running 2:36.16 on a track rated good (3). Cummings became the fourth in his family to trainer a VRC Derby winner after father Anthony, grandfather Bart and great-grandfather Jim.

Regular jockey Glyn Schofield who was on board in both the Gr.1 wins by the colt, was full of praise after the classic victory. “He has a presence about him that matches his speed and agility as a two year-old, developing into strength and stamina as a three year-old. It’s a rare combination of a great attitude and proven Gr.1 ability.”

Prized Icon had just seven more starts for Cummings before he was appointed head trainer for Godolphin
in mid-2017. The colt was second in three of those runs, firstly behind Hey Doc in the Australian Guineas-Gr.1 (1600m) on March 4 at Flemington second up, beaten three-quarters of a length and coming from sixth at the 400m, then second behind Jon Snow on an unsuitable heavy (9) track in the Tulloch Stakes-Gr.2 (2000m) at Rosehill two starts later on March 25 and finally the narrowest of seconds behind France in the Inglis Guineas-RL (1400m) at Scone on May 13, coming from eighth at the 400m.

Prized Icon had his first start for new trainer Kris Lees when he lined up against some very smart sprinters in the Carrington Stakes-LR (1400m) at Rosehill on January 27, 2018, sitting third for most of the way before a second place finish behind Lanciato, beaten three-quarters of a length.

He was then fourth in the Apollo-Gr.2 (1400m) behind Endless Drama and then runner-up to champion Winx in the Chipping Norton-Gr.1 (1600m). Although victory continued to elude him in 2018, he was also third in the Ranvet-Gr.1 (2000m) behind Gailo Chop and Single Gaze, third in the Spring Preview (1400m)
at Rosehill behind Flow, fourth in the Inglis Cup (2000m) at Caulfield and second in the Crystal Mile-Gr.2 at Caulfield on October 27, beaten a half length by Cliffs Edge, before a fourth in the $2m Mackinnon-Gr.1 (2000m) behind Trap For Fools on November 10 at what would be his penultimate start.

He was retired after a mid-field run in the Railway Stakes-Gr.1 in Perth behind Galaxy Star on November 24. A model of consistency in the best of company, his race record shows three wins, eight seconds, seven thirds and three fourths in 33 starts for earnings of $2,167,450.

Given the success of recently deceased Sebring and this season’s first crop sire sensation Better Than Ready, who are both sons of More Than Ready, there should be plenty of interest in Prized Icon who is bred on a proven cross. Golden Slipper winner Sebring is out of a mare by Flying Spur (Danehill), champion mare and $4.5m earner More Joyous has a second dam by Danehill, while WA Derby heroine Dreamaway is also out of a Danehill mare, as are NZ Oaks winner More than Sacred, Goodwood Handicap winner and sire Perfectly Ready and VRC Derby winner and sire Benicio. Better Than Ready’s dam is by Agnes World, like Danehill a son of Danzig. The US Gr.1 winner Uni has a dam by Dansili (Danehill) and South African Gr.1 winner Entisaar has a dam by Catbird (Danehill).

More Than Ready (Southern Halo-Woodman’s Girl by Woodman (USA) was foaled in Kentucky on April 4, 1997 and began his stud career in the US and Australia ($22,000, 108 mares) in 2001 after a racing career that saw him earn $1m from seven wins to Gr.1 level.

He was an instant success at stud and by 2009 his southern fee had reached its peak of $148,500 (161 mares). His first 17 southern seasons yielded 1691 live foals and he has more foals due in 2019 from his book of 64 in 2018 ($66,000), his final southern season.

More Than Ready, a Gr.1 winner at 1400m in the US at three, also won five of his seven juvenile starts and is a noted sire of two year-olds, Slipper winners Sebring (Flying Spur) and Phelan Ready (Blevic), Blue Diamond winner Samaready (Secret Savings), another Champagne Stakes winner in Carry On Cutie (Conquistarose), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Rushing Fall (Forestry) and South African juvenile champ Entisaar (Catbird) among his best at that age. But his runners train on too, which makes them so popular with owners and trainers.

In a long stud career More Than Ready has left 1767 winners (73.3% of starters), among them 192 stakes winners (8%), 21 of them Gr.1. His progeny earnings have topped $215m. More Joyous (dam by Sunday Silence by Halo) is the jewel in the crown locally, her 21 wins (1100m-2000m) including the Flight Stakes, Doncaster, George Main, Queen Elizabeth, Toorak Handicap and Queen of the Turf (twice), all Gr.1. US Sprint champ Roy H (Elusive Quality) won 10 (1200m-1300m) including the Santa Anita Sprint Championship-Gr.1 and Breeders’ Cup Sprint-Gr.1, Verrazano (Giant’s Causeway) won the Wood Memorial and shuttled for Coolmore, Room Service (Old Trieste) won the Ashland-Gr.1 and Santa Anita American Oaks-Gr.1 and Daredevil (Forty Niner) won the Belmont Champagne Stakes-Gr.1.

The More Than Ready/Danehill cross gives Northern Dancer 4fx4m, plus multiples of his dam Natalma
and a line of her half-sister Cosmah. If also gives Buckpasser 5fx5f, whose third dam La Troienne plays such a pivotal role in the pedigree of Woodman’s Girl, dam of More Than Ready. Her sire Woodman (USA) (Mr. Prospector) is out of Playmate, who has La Troienne (Teddy) 4fx5f through two closely bred mares, Busanda and Striking (2×3), both daughters of War Admiral and granddaughters of La Troienne.

Woodman’s Girl is also a direct descendant of La Troienne, her fifth dam, and her fourth dam Belle of Troy (Blue Larkspur) is a sister to Buckpasser’s dam Businesslike. Belle of Troy’s daughter Best Side is by Better Self, whose sire Bimelech is out of La Troienne and whose dam is a daughter of War Admiral.

Best Side (3mx2f La Troienne), third dam of Woodman’s Girl, also has Black Toney 3m,5mx4m More Than Ready has Turn-to 4mx5m and he is by Royal Charger, a three-quarter brother to Nasrullah, who features in this pedigree through Bold Ruler, Nashua, Glamour and Nasram and is from the same family as Mahmoud, whose daughter Almahmoud is dam of Natalma and Cosmah. There is also Native Dancer through Natalma, Dan Cupid and Raise a Native.

It’s worth remembering that Sir Ivor is a grandson of Turn-to, as is Roberto, both have worked with More Than Ready as have Nijinsky and similarly bred Storm Bird, both sons of Northern Dancer. Doubling Mr. Prospector is also a positive move with this son of Southern Halo, so too doubling Halo.

When looking at the pedigree of Danzig, we see his dam sire Admiral’s Voyage is by Crafty Admiral who has the brothers Sir Galahad and Bull Dog (Teddy) 3×4 and whose dam is by War Admiral. Admiral’s Voyage has Man o’War 4mx5f and has Peter Pan (sire of Black Toney) 5fx5f, while his dam Olympia Lou has Selene 4mx4m. Danzig has Hyperion (dam Selene) 4fx6m, his half brother Sickle and his sire Gainsborough.

Danzig’s son Danehill, 3mx3f to Natalma, has a second dam by Buckpasser and is 5fx5m to Hyperion. Danehill’s dam sire His Majesty (Ribot) brings in another daughter of Mahmoud (Boudoir).

Prized icon’s dam Tropical Affair (Danehill-Just as Lovely by Bletchingly) also came to hand early, winning the Maribyrnong Trial-LR and finishing second in the VRC Bloodhorse Breeders’ Stakes-Gr.2 before a stud career that produced nine winners, the others including Matras (Zabeel) winner of nine races to Gr.3 level from 1300m-1600m and second dam of Fernhill-LR winner and Champagne Stakes-Gr.1 third Whispered Secret (High Chaparral); Prized Icon’s sister Romantic Moon, also a star at two when she won the Sweet Embrace Stakes-Gr.3, as well as Gr.3 runner-up Ashikaga (Fusaichi Pegasus). Tropical Affair’s daughter Tarlaquena (Don Eduardo) is dam of the Gr.2 winner and Gr.1 runner-up Kabayan (Haradasun).

Just as Lovely (ex Stick to Beauty by Dignitas) was a city winner at 1600m and produced eight winners including the Black Opal-Gr.3 third Just as Beautiful (Beautiful Crown (USA)), dam of Pago Pago-Gr.2 winner and sire Salade (Snitzel). Next dam Stick to Beauty (ex Winged Beauty by Port Vista (GB)) had three winners from just four foals and is a sister to the VATC 1000 Guineas-Gr.1 winner Princess Talaria, a terrific producer whose descendants include Flight Stakes-Gr.1 winner Royal Purler (Hector Protector), tough Queensland based stakes winner Mishani Warrior (Show a Heart), Gr.3 winner Silver Flyer (Kenmare), The Mikado (Danehill Dancer), Mustard (Vettori) and NZ Derby-Gr.1 runner-up Rising Red (Redwood).

They are out of very good race mare and producer Winged Beauty, a daughter of another fine producer
in Felidoma (Jambo (GB)-Bruness by Brueghel (ITY)). Winged Beauty won 10 races to 1400m, two as a juvenile, including the Carrington Stakes-LR and was runner-up in an Oakleigh Stakes-Gr.1. Felidoma, who was bred in 1954, has an interesting pedigree in that her sire Jambo (Felicitation-Dodoma by Dastur) is a grandson of Mumtaz Begum (Blenheim-Mumtaz Mahal by The Tetrarch), while the Irish Derby winner Dastur (Solario-Friar’s Daughter by Friar Marcus) is a half-brother to English Triple Crown winner Bahram (Blandford) and influential producers Fille d’Amour (Hurry On, second dam of The Phoenix) and Fille de Salut (by Sansovino; second dam of Sunny Boy, sire of Zabeel’s fourth dam). Dodoma’s son Nilo (GB) also stood in Australia, while her stakes-winning daughter Diableretta (Dante) has Derby hero Shergar among her descendants.

Felidoma’s dam Bruness is a half-sister to VRC Debutante Stakes winner Lady Ajax (Ajax) and her dam Highness (Silvius-Lady Claro by Claro (GB)) is a half-sister to three stakes winners including the Cantala Stakes-Gr.1 winner Mohican (Moabite (GB)).

The family traces to English Oaks winner Marchioness (GB) (1852, Melbourne-Cinzelli by Touchstone), who left three fillies in England before her importation in 1860 by pastoralist Hurtle Fisher. She was in foal to champion sire Stockwell at the time and delivered a filly in 1861.

Named Rose of Denmark, she is the 13th dam of Prized Icon. This was a pioneering family indeed as the first volume of the ASB did not appear until 1878, six years after Marchioness produced her last foal, Lady Pantaloon (Tom King (GB)). Marchioness, whose half-brother The Marquis (Stockwell) won the English 2000 Guineas and St Leger, left VRC Derby winner Angler and Sydney Cup winner Fishook (both by Fisherman), while Rose of Denmark left the AJC, VRC and QTC Derby and VRC Oaks heroine Florence (Boiardo) and stakes winners Hamlet and Horatio (both by Maribyrnong).

Trained by Jack Denham, Felidoma won 14 races (five in Sydney) for flamboyant owner-breeder Elva Una Cooper and then produced eight foals, seven of them winners, four at stakes level including Arcadus (Emperor (FR)) who became a handy sire from limited opportunity; Winged Beauty (Port Vista) whose foals included the brilliant Gr.1 placed Sticks and Stones (Faringdon), a short-lived sire best known for Gr.1 winner Diamond Lover (ex Eight Carat).

She also foaled another speedster in Haulpak (Dignitas (USA)), a successful sire in WA and brother to Princess Talaria); Admire (Grey Mop (GB)), a Listed winner whose foals included Gr.2 winner and sire Pag-Asa (Kaoru Star; famous as sire of champion Bonecrusher), Canadian stakes winner Admiration (Tanzor (USA)) and Gr.3 winner and sire Covetous (Luskin Star), sire of Gr.1 winners St Covet (another short-lived sire success), With Me and Star Covet. Gelded Sabron (Faringdon) was Felidoma’s fourth stakes winner.

When we consider all this and the fact that Prized Icon is a RF (Rassmussen Factor) to Native Dancer’s daughter Natalma (5mx5m,5f) and has four lines of her dam Almahmoud (Mahmoud) in his six generation pedigree (5f,6fx6f,6f), it makes sense to add further Mr. Prospector, a Native Dancer grandson who has a 4mx5m double of Teddy (who goes well with Northern Dancer) to tie in with the female strain of that horse (La Troienne). Mr. Prospector’s dam is by a son of Nasrullah, whose dam is a three-quarter sister to Mahmoud and his fourth dam Myrtlewood is by Blue Larkspur.

The whole Eight Carat (GB) tribe should suit too as she is by a son of Relic (dam sire of Bletchingly), her broodmare sire Pieces of Eight’s dam Baby Doll carries the half-brothers Nearco-Niccolo dell’Arca (2×2) and her third dam Tessa Gillian (Nearco-Sun Princess by Solario) is a sister to Royal Charger, the male line of Halo. Sun Princess is out of Mumtaz Begum (as is Nasrullah), the three-quarter sister to Mahmoud. Another close relative Badruddin (Blandford-Mumtaz Mahal by The Tetrarch) is the sire of Perfume II (ex Lavendula by Pharos), dam of My Babu and NZ-based sire Marco Polo (GB)) as well as Sayani (sire of the dam of Oncidium (GB)).

Those looking to breed a classic runner by Prized Icon should be on the right track using mares from the Sir Tristram male line including those by Zabeel and his son Octagonal or his son Lonhro (whose dam is by a son of Mr. Prospector), while the Sadler’s Wells tribe and mares carrying his brother Fairy King (via Encosta de Lago, whose second dam is by Mr. Prospector) or three-quarter brother Nureyev (dam sire of Zabeel) are also good options.

Although he is a classic winner, Prized Icon showed he had inherited the showed and precocity one would associate with a horse of his pedigree. Sires like More Than Ready, Danehill and Bletchingly, who feature as his immediate ancestors, are bywords for juvenile speed and Prized Icon looks set to continue this tradition at Kooringal. n