Mark Of Esteem, whose best son Sir Percy is standing at Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand this spring, posted a major international double on Sunday when he produced stakes winners in Ireland and England.
   The well-performed sprinter Reverence landed the Group 3 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh while Ordnance Row powered away with the Group 3 Supreme Stakes at Goodwood.
   Reverence is the dual Group 1 winner of the Haydock Sprint Cup and the Nunthorpe Stakes and has now been set for another top-flight target. He will make his next appearance at Longchamp in the Prix de l’Abbaye, having previously finished runner-up in the premier French sprint.
   Ordnance Row responded to a bold move by trainer Richard Hannon when he won the Supreme Stakes under champion jockey Ryan Moore.  Producing an extraordinary performance after finishing third at Goodwood the previous day in the G2 Celebration Mile. “Saturday’s race took the freshness out of him,” Moore said after bringing Ordnance Row with a stirring finish for his seventh career success.
    Mark Of Esteem won four of his seven starts, including the English 2000 Guineas and the Ascot Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, before he retired to stud. The son of Darshaan was Great Britain’s Champion Sire of 2006 - the year in which Sir Percy raced to glory in the Group 1 Epsom Derby.
    Sir Percy has settled in very well at Rich Hill since his arrival three weeks ago.  ‘He is a lovely athletic walker with great quality’, were the remarks John Thompson received from interested onlookers during the studs open days over the past weekend.

Permalink| Aug 31, 2009

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