The Dukes Stud and Overbury Stallions-bred Ladies Church was one of the stars of the Irish Oaks weekend at the Curragh when battling gamely to land the G2 Sapphire Stakes for Johnny Murtagh and owner Mark Dobbin.
The three-year-old filly became the first stakes winner for her sire Churchill with her victory in the Listed Marwell Stakes last July and she now has a valuable Group success to her name to enhance her paddock value further.
Ladies Church was the first foal of the French Listed winner Rioticism (Rio De La Plata), who was bred by Native Trail’s breeder Jose Delmotte of Haras d’Haspel and bought for our partnership by Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock at Arqana in 2018. We sold the filly as a foal at Tattersalls to Mags O’Toole and Eddie O’Leary for 62,000gns, who then sold her on as a yearling at the Orby Sale for £160,000 to her trainer.
Rioticism has a yearling colt by Le Brivido and is currently in foal to Palace Pier.
