Rhododendron, a full sister to Bush Hill Stud’s exciting new sire Flying The Flag, won a smart race at Glorious Goodwood on Thursday.

A two-year-old daughter of the mighty Galileo, Rhododendron was dispatched a red hot 10-11 favourite to land an EBF Fillies Maiden Stakes over 1400m.

Having finished a good second on debut, the Aidan O’Brien trained filly made no mistakes in Thursday’s race and romped home to deliver a convincing one and three quarter length win.

Rhododendron, who holds an entry for the both the Gr2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes and Gr2 Debutante Stakes, received a 20-1 quote for next year’s Gr1 Qipco 1000 Guineas following her stylish win.

Rhododendron and Flying The Flag, who shares their sire with the sire sensation Frankel and more than 50 Gr1 winners (including recent stars Highland Reel, The Gurkha, Minding, Deauville and Alice Springs), are out of the brilliant triple Gr1 winner Halfway To Haven. A daughter of Pivotal and Gr1 July Cup runner up Cassandra Go (by outstanding sire Indian Ridge), Halfway To Heaven won or placed in eight of just nine outings with her wins including the classic Gr1 Irish 1000 Guineas and wins in both the Gr1 Nassau and Gr1 Sun Chariot Stakes.

This is the same family as successful sires Verglas and Stravinsky, with the latter currently making waves as the broodmare sire US sensation and recent Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Tepin.

Flying The Flag, whose wins included the Gr3 International Stakes, will stand his first season at stud in 2016 for a stud fee of R20 000. 

-SAHorseracing.COM 

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