Rhododendron, a full sister to Bush Hill Stud’s exciting young sire Flying The Flag, impressed onlookers when running out a gritty winner of Sunday’s Gr2 Breast Cancer Research Debutante Stakes win at the Curragh.
After breaking her maiden at Goodwood last month, Rhododendron (Galileo) took the step up in class to Sunday’s Gr2 contest in her stride, but had to dig deep to fend off a challenge from her stable mate Hydrangea (Galileo).

Remarkably, the first fillies home in Sunday’s 1400m contest for 2yo fillies only are both by champion sire Galileo and out of mares by top sprinter and sire Pivotal.

Rhododendron, who has compiled a record of two wins from just three outings (she was second on debut), was providing trainer Aidan O’Brien with his 11th win in the Debutante, with O’Brien’s previous winners including subsequent Gr1 winners Tapestry (Galileo), Maybe (Galileo), Ballydoyle (Galileo), Necklace (Darshaan) and Lillie Langtry (dam of this year’s superstar Minding).

She is likely to be aimed next for the Gr1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, which is scheduled to be run at the Curragh on September 11th, and Rhododendron also holds entries for the Gr1 Connolly’s Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes, and Gr1 Dubai Fillies Mile.

Flying The Flag (Galileo) himself was a very smart performer, whose victories included the Gr3 eFlow “You First” International Stakes, over Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes winner Most Improved (Lawman).

Rhododendron and Flying The Flag are out of Pivotal’s outstanding daughter Halfway To Heaven, whose wins included the Gr1 Boylesports Irish 1000 Guineas, Blue Square Nassau Stakes, and Gr1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes.