Fancy Blue

Fancy Blue (foaled 2 February 2017) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed considerable promise as a juvenile in 2019 when she won both of her races including the Listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes. In the following year she finished second in the Irish 1000 Guineas before winning the Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes.

Fancy Blue
Racing silks of Michael Tabor
Sire	Deep Impact
Grandsire	Sunday Silence
Dam	Chenchikova
Damsire	Sadler's Wells
Sex	Filly
Foaled	2 February 2017[1]
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Coolmore Stud
Owner	Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier
Trainer	Aidan O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien
Record	5: 4-1-0
Earnings	£507,933
Major wins
Staffordstown Stud Stakes (2019) Prix de Diane (2020) Nassau Stakes (2020)

Background

Fancy Blue is a bay filly with a white blaze and a white socks on her hind legs bred in Ireland by the Coolmore Stud. She is owned by the Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith. Like many Coolmore horses she was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle.

She was from the ninth crop of foals sired by Deep Impact, who was the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006, winning races including the Tokyo Yushun, Tenno Sho, Arima Kinen and Japan Cup. Deep Impact's other progeny include Gentildonna, Harp Star, Kizuna, A Shin Hikari, Marialite and Saxon Warrior.[2] Fancy Blue's dam Chenchikova showed modest racing ability, winning a maiden race on her debut but failing to win in five subsequent starts,[3] but did better as a broodmare, producing several other winners including Smuggler's Cove (Star Appeal Stakes) and Casterton (Prix Lord Seymour). She was a full-sister to High Chaparral.[4]

Racing career

2019: two-year-old season

Fancy Blue made her racecourse debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Naas Racecourse on 18 September and went off at odds of 6/1 in a fifteen-runner field. Ridden by her trainer's son Donnacha O'Brien she raced in mid-division before staying on strongly to overtake the favourite Chasing The Dawn in the closing stages and win by half a length.[5] On 13 October the filly was moved up in class and distance for the Listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes over one mile on soft ground at the Curragh and started the 4/1 third choice in the betting behind A New Dawn (runner-up in the Weld Park Stakes) and Auxilia. With Seamie Heffernan in the saddle she started slowly but produced a sustained run from the rear of the field in the last quarter mile to win by a head from A New Dawn after taking the lead in the final strides.[6] After the race Aidan O'Brien admitted that Donnacha O'Brien had been handling the filly at Longfield stable, near Goold's Cross, County Tipperary and added "She’s a quality filly and Seamus gave her a lovely ride".[7]

When Donnacha O'Brien retired from riding at the age of 21 in November 2019, Fancy Blue was one of the horses to join his training stable at Longfield.[8]

2020: three-year-old season

The flat racing season in Ireland was disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas was run three weeks later than usual on 13 June behind closed doors at the Curragh. Ridden by Declan McDonogh she started at odds of 12/1 in an eleven-runner field and stayed on well from the rear of the field, two lengths behind the winner Peaceful.[9] On 5 July the filly was sent to France to contest the Prix de Diane over 2000 metres at Chantilly Racecourse in which she was ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot and went off the 8.1/1 fourth choice in the betting behind Alpine Star, Peaceful and the undefeated Raabihah. The other seven runners included Speak of the Devil (runner-up in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches), Solsticia (third in the Prix Saint-Alary), Miss Extra (Prix de Sandringham), Ebaiyra (Prix de Royaumont) and Magic Attitude (Prix Vanteaux). Boudot settled his filly in second place behind Alpine Star before moving up to take the lead 200 metres out. In a closely-contested finish Fancy Blue stayed on well under pressure to win by a short neck, a head and a head from Alpine Star, Peaceful and Raabihah.[10] Donnacha O'Brien, who watched the event from Fairyhouse said "I always knew she was a very good filly and we always thought the step up in trip would suit her. It definitely did. Pierre-Charles is a very good rider and I told him beforehand he should do what he wants. There was no pace early so he went forward on her and sat upsides the leader. It was exactly what I would have liked him to do. She quickened up well and stuck at it. The home straight felt like a lifetime".[11]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Fancy Blue (JPN), bay filly, 2017[1]

Sire Deep Impact (JPN) 2002	Sunday Silence (USA) 1986	Halo	Hail to Reason
			Cosmah
		Wishing Well	Understanding
			Mountain Flower
	Wind In Her Hair (IRE) 1991	Alzao (USA)	Lyphard
			Lady Rebecca (GB)
		Burghclere (GB)	Busted
			Highclere
Dam Chenchikova (IRE) 2003	Sadler's Wells (USA) 1981	Northern Dancer (CAN)	Nearctic
			Natalma (USA)
		Fairy Bridge	Bold Reason
			Special
	Kasora (IRE) 1993	Darshaan (GB)	Shirley Heights
			Delsy (FR)
		Kozana (GB)	Kris
			Koblenza (FR) (Family: 1-n)[4]

References

1. "Fancy Blue pedigree". Equineline.
2. "Deep Impact – Stud Record". Racing Post.
3. "Chenchikova Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
4. "Chelandry - Family 1-n". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
5. "Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden result". Racing Post. 18 September 2019.
6. "Staffordstown Stud Stakes result". Racing Post. 13 October 2019.
7. Graham, Michael (13 October 2019). "Fancy Blue spearheads O'Brien treble". Irish Racing.
8. Jennings, David (25 November 2019). "Donnacha O'Brien quits the saddle to focus on training career". Racing Post.
9. "Irish 1000 Guineas result". Racing Post. 13 June 2020.
10. "Prix de Diane result". Racing Post. 5 July 2020.
11. Burton, Scott (5 July 2020). "Fancy Blue Brings Home the Win in Prix de Diane". The Blood-Horse.