Juddmonte Farms needs no introduction as one of the world’s great breeding and racing operations, its name being synonymous with some of the great names of the modern era.
At the head of its American division is long-time president Dr John Chandler, the Pretoria-born and educated veterinarian who has been central to the development of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah’s racing and breeding empire.
And whilst he has witnessed many a champion emerge from the farm’s Bluegrass paddocks, Chandler has tasted success as a breeder in his own capacity, most recently, last weekend when four-year-old Nobals recorded the biggest win of his career in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
Nobals storms home under Gerald Corrales to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Pic – Breeders Cup World Championships)
Cheekily named perhaps, this gelded son of Frankel’s Gr1 winning own brother Noble Mission is a fourth generation Chandler bred, from a family which he founded almost half a century ago from French-bred Pharlette.
Lightly-raced – she started just twice in France at two, winning over a mile – this daughter of Pharly proved her worth in the paddocks, producing eight winners from nine foals, amongst which the Gr2 Flying Childers Stakes victor Raah Algharb and Pharian, who won the Gr3 Lancashire Oaks and Listed Cheshire Oaks.
Nobals descends from Raah Algharb’s full sister Western Wind. By Gone West, she won at three and four and also became a stakes producer as the dam of Gr3 winner Western Ransom. Put to Empire Maker, Western Ransom bred Pearly Blue, the dam of Nobals. Like her grandam, she proved no more than modest on the track, winning just twice, but has come good as a Gr1 producer. Nobals apart, Pearly Blue is also dam of stakes placed My First Pearl.
Enjoy the big race replay:
Interestingly, it is Pharian’s own sister Aletta Maria who kept the family’s name up in lights before Nobals became its latest Gr1 success.
By Diesis, she started her career in Britain with Guy Harwood and placed in both starts at two. Timeform described her as ‘as a sparely-made filly, hasn’t much scope’. Returned to her birth country, she proved that unflattering description all wrong and ended her racing career as a three-time winner.
Handsome is as handsome does, for the ‘sparely made’ Aletta Maria became an outstanding producer of two Gr1 winners and nine black type performers from 15 foals. True to his roots, Chandler gave virtually all her offspring names with a South African connotation, the best of which the colt Cetewayo, who retired a turf millionaire.
Dr John Chandler (Pic – Thorostride)
Named after the great Zulu leader, the son of His Majesty lived up to his exalted name by winning the Gr1 Sword Dancer Invitational at four and as an eight-year-old, captured the Gr1 Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup Handicap whilst equalling the course record in the Gr3 Stars and Stripes Breeders’ Cup Turf Handicap at Arlington.
Arlington was also the track where his Dynaformer half-sister Dynaforce captured the Gr1 Beverly D Stakes to go along with victory in Belmont’s Gr1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes, whilst Kris S half-brother Bowman Mill captured the Gr2 Sky Classic and was runner-up in the Gr1 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes.
Which brings us to Aletta Maria’s other ‘South African’-named foals, so to speak.
Ntombi landed the Listed Hilltop Stakes and produced stakes-placed Buthelezi; Fort Nottingham ran third in the Gr1 Prix Lupin, whereas Thabazimbi filled the same place in the Gr2 Bowling Green Handicap.
Bryntirion, named for the luxury estate that South African cabinet ministers call home, ran second in the Gr2 Prix Saint-Roman and the Gr3 Cinema Handicap, while the filly De Aar was runner-up in the Gr3 Gallorette Handicap and subsequently produced the hard-knocking Gr2 winning millionaire and sire Willcox Inn. Her own sister Somerset West followed suit as the dam of stakes winners Seaspeak and Innovation Economy.
And of course, there was Sarie Marais. A stakes-placed daughter of Unbridled, she features as the grandam of Chandler-bred stakes winner Twilight Blue.
Clearly then, Chandler has enjoyed plenty of success from a turf family he has nurtured with patience and skill over many decades. Nobals is its latest masterpiece.
