Many congratulations to Sheikh Rashid Dalmook al Maktoum and Richard Fahey on the victory of Perfect Power - bred and breezed by Tally-Ho Stud - in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The son of Ardad was bred here out of Sagely, a winning Frozen Power half-sister to the Listed-placed Sagaciously, and sold through our draft for £110,000 to Blandford Bloodstock at the Goffs Breeze-Up Sale in April.
Similarly, Ardad was bred at Tally-Ho and also sold by us as a Goffs UK breezer prior to tasting Royal Ascot success in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
Ardad becomes the fourth son of Kodiac to sire a stakes winner. The list also includes Kodi Bear, who supplied the second home Go Bears Go, and Prince Of Lir, who sired last year's Norfolk Stakes winner The Lir Jet.
As such, grandsons of Kodiac accounted for the first two home!
"They went quite hard and I just had to sit and suffer on him," said jockey Paul Hanagan. "I’m glad I did, because he didn’t half power home and really ran through the line. I must have passed about 10 jockeys pulling up who [thought they] had won, and I wasn’t quite sure because it was so far away the other side. I think the way I finished the race I had every chance, because he really powered home.
“You couldn't really get a horse with a better attitude. He takes it all in and has a great temperament. I think that’s what got him beat first time, because we were all expecting him to win. First day at school - I think he just had a bit of stage fright, but he’s come out of that race so well, and as we saw at Hamilton, that race brought him on again.”
Richard Fahey added: “The Norfolk Stakes has been a bogey race for me. I have been second in it a few times and as they flashed past I thought we got beat. I'm just glad we got there. I got emotional for a couple of seconds, I'm getting soft in my old age.
“It's a fantastic result. Me and Paul have been together for such a long time. He left us for around 18 months, but it's been such a long relationship and it's great to have another Royal Ascot winner together.
“We were very sweet on Perfect Power. We haven't had him very long and he missed the kick first time out when third and that probably helped us. He won well at Hamilton and we were quietly confident coming here.
“We discussed going up to six furlongs but after chatting it through with the team, we came here. He was bought to win a Norfolk and it's great when a plan comes together.”
It has been an excellent season so far for Tally-Ho breezers, with Spanish Mission also taking the Yorkshire Cup and Burgarita, Ad Infinitum and Mehmento each scoring in Listed company. The unbeaten Burgarita lines up in Sunday's Prix de Diane.
