Iconique

Iconique, by Group One Classic winner, Sixties Icon out of the mare, Rose Cheval (by Johannesburg) and a full sister to FOUR winners of TWELVE races while the only other half-sister, by Winker Watson, was beaten just a neck on her debut, in a hot Newmarket maiden. Unsurprisingly, that filly, now a broodmare, had her first foal win on July 16^th this year. She is from a resilient, sound and prolific family and our filly, the sixth foal of Rose Cheval, has already shown all the signs that, although she was a very late foal, she has inherited plenty of her family’s ability.

Although she was a late May foal, who missed all the yearling sales due to her backward nature we were still keen to acquire this filly and after taking a patient approach, she was eventually sent into training with top Newmarket Trainer, the globe trotting, Charlie Fellowes, now resident at the historic Bedford House Stables on the prestigious bury Road, in Newmarket.

Iconique is by Sixties Icon, a St Leger winner who was, himself, by world class stallion, Galileo, he has proven to be a remarkable stallion, getting winners over all kinds of trips and, perhaps surprisingly, has been able to produce so many with plenty of pace, even able to win over the minimum trip including a couple of this filly’s siblings. Although a top-class stayer, he was described to us when in training, here at Newmarket, as ‘always showing plenty of speed, himself’ and, consequently, perhaps it shouldn’t be such a surprise that he has been able to get so many winners over shorter trips.

Iconique’s dam, Rose Cheval, has produced five previous foals and, as indicated, four of those full sisters have won twelve races between them from 5f to 14f. Although very backward as a 2yo, we gave her the time she needed and although delayed from making her debut due to a bout of coughing early in her 3yo career, Iconique had shown plenty of ability and, indeed, showed up well in her first three races, finishing either third or fourth in each before qualifying for her handicap mark on the all weather at Wolverhampton.

In her first handicap, only the fourth start of her life, on the all-weather polytrack at Lingfield, Iconique raced again with plenty of promise, but unfortunately was buffeted out of the race by another horse in the home straight. However, on just her fifth appearance at the track, when we returned with her to Yarmouth, where she had run her best race to date, Iconique fulfilled some of the potential we had seen in her previously, as she put her head down and gave her all to beat off a very decent field in what was  her hardest race to date.

Under what we would have to say, was a terrific ride from Hayley Turner, Iconique won her race, breaking her maiden tag and provided many of her Owners and Members with a terrific day at the track. Well backed from 28/1 overnight, touching 40-1 in a place or two, she was well backed into 16/1 and held off the previous winner, Bague D’or and, indeed, six other previous winners, comfortably, at the line, sparking wild celebrations which began immediately, as you will see (in the video above) near the winning post, as the filly crossed the line.