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NORMAN COURT STUD Right: Chilworth Icon (yellow cap) scores a memorable win for his sire on Derby day Below: Stud Manager Stewart Bevan grew up with a trainer for a father and has worked on studs since the age of 16
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success of Sixties Icon cannot be understated. His West Ilsley stable has been responsible for eight of the stallion’s ten runners to date, Chilworth Icon and the Listed-placed Effie B among them, and sent out four for the Chesham Stakes, including runner-up Cruck Realta. Speaking after Chilworth Icon’s Woodcote Stakes victory on Derby day, Channon said: “It’s an unbelievable story for Sixties Icon. People say I’ve been getting on with his two-year-olds but I can’t make the horses win. If they didn’t have the ability they wouldn’t be doing this.” With Channon a non-executive director at the stud, he, along with the Trants and Stud Manager Stewart Bevan, is closely involved with the matings for the band of around 35 mares, which include a number of his own and those owned in partnership with the stud. Patrick Trant says: “We did look at mares that had produced early types to send to Sixties. But if you look at Vanessa, for example, I wouldn't have said that she had a particularly precocious pedigree but I think that’s come from the stallion. He wasn’t like a normal Leger horse. “His offspring are definitely improving for their first run. It’s exciting to see how they’ve come on. How far can Sixties Icon go? Well, we’re shooting for the stars.” The Trants’ hopes don’t end with Sixties Icon’s runners as they have also enjoyed notable success this season as the breeders of Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Samitar and Prix de Sandringham winner Laugh Out Loud, and the pair, also both trained by Channon, gave the couple a thrill on the Friday of Royal Ascot when lining up against each other for the
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Coronation Stakes, in which they finished fourth and sixth. “It’s Trant v Trant,” says Tania. “Patrick bought Samitar’s dam and I bought Laugh Out Loud’s dam.” The fillies are both the produce of two relatively inexpensive mares. Laugh Out Loud’s dam Funny Girl, a beautiful dark brown daughter of Darshaan, was selected by Tania for just 12,000gns at Tattersalls in 2006, while Aileen’s Gift, the dam of Samitar, had been signed for by Gill Richardson at Goffs a year earlier for €17,000. The unraced daughter of Rainbow Quest was carrying Nijoom Dubai at the time and she would go on to be the first of the mare’s two Albany Stakes winners. Patrick says: “Tania’s done very well with buying the mares. Mick and I will get involved with the sales strategy and decide what’s going
to be sold. But the mares and purchasing are very much down to Tania.” With thoughts already turning to the forthcoming yearling sales, the stud’s other young stallion Winker Watson will be put to the test when members of his first crop are offered this autumn. “In 2010 we gave Winker Watson a good selection of mares to get him started; we had to support him with numbers like we did with Sixties Icon,” says Patrick. The son of Piccolo’s debutants include half-siblings to Chilworth Icon, Effie B and Queen Mary Stakes winner Ceiling Kitty, who is owned and bred by Andrew Black, who raced Winker Watson and has retained a quarter share in him at stud. “His progeny look promising and his first yearlings go to the sales this year, so it’s a really exciting time here at the moment. With Sixties Icon we couldn’t wait for his first runners and I can’t wait until April or May next year when we see the first Winker Watsons out.” Tania is also rightly proud that two of their Sixties Icon colts, including a half-brother to Samitar, have been selected for October Book 1. She says: “His numbers will fall slightly in the next few years – he covered 52 mares in his first book, then 37, and 29 last year. But we’ve had 75 booked to him this season, which we’re
Robyn Apperley leads Laugh Out Loud’s dam Funny Girl and her Winker Watson foal
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