Royal Ascot - Ladies in Waiting

Tara Madgwick - Monday June 15

Expectation hangs heavy in the air as we get ready for Royal Ascot and for the breeders that own the dams of our five Royal Ascot contenders – Able Friend, Brazen Beau, Criterion, Shamal Wind and Wandjina – there is even more anticipation as all five mares are in foal and will produce siblings to the superstars later this year.

Snitzel filly from La Bamba born last year

Arrowfield Stud bred and sold Wandjina, the Group I winning son of Snitzel bought for $1million at Inglis Easter by James Harron Bloodstock.

Wandjina didn't just make that sort of money because of his good looks, a big part of it was his now 20 year-old dam La Bamba, who has barely put a foot wrong as a broodmare.

Her previous offspring include Group I HK International Sprint winner Inspiration and stakes--winners Provence and Lucky Unicorn along with four other winners - eight winners from ten to race is impressive and she's not done yet.

Arrowfield sold a Manhattan Rain colt from La Bamba for $700,000 at Inglis Easter this year, have a weanling Snitzel filly in the pipeline and the mare is due to foal this spring to Smart Missile.

Bred and sold by Widden Stud, Shamal Wind is the first foal of well related import Firemaid (USA), who has had a checquered career at stud since then with only a couple of foals to follow the Group I winner.

Firemaid had no yearling for the sales this year but does have a Sebring weanling colt and will foal to Fastnet Rock in the spring.

Firemaid with her Sebring colt last year at Widden

Sir Owen Glen's homebred Criterion is another blue-blood, the best of seven winners from Group III winner Mica's Pride, whose other notable offspring include Group II winner Varenna Miss and stakes-winner Silently.

Pierro colt from Mica's Pride

Mica's Pride has a yearling colt by Fastnet Rock that has been retained, a weanling colt by Pierro and is due to foal to Fastnet Rock.

Bred and sold as a yearling by former successful jockey and trainer Bernie Howlett, Brazen Beau is the fifth foal of former Group III placed juvenile Sansadee, whose previous four foals yielded a winner and a place-getter.

The mating to I Am Invincible produced something seriously special in Brazen Beau and Mr Howlett obviously recognized class when he saw it as the mare has been to no other stallion since.

Sansadee has a two year-old filly by I Am Invincible and a weanling colt and will foal again to him this year.

Able Friend was bred and sold by Turangga Farm, but his dam Ponte Piccolo was on-sold in 2013 fetching $35,000 when snapped up Randwick Bloodstock on behalf of Chris Lawlor, Managing Director of International Animal Health Products.

For her new owner, Ponte Piccolo has produced a yearling filly by Manhattan Rain, a weanling colt by Dalakhani (IRE) and is due to foal this year to More Than Ready (USA).