Mare of the Month by Martin Stevens
WALL OF SOUND (GB)
Veiled Beauty was one of the earliest broodmare purchases made by Andrew and Jane Black. In fact, her 2012 Rock Hard Ten filly was the first ever foal born at Chasemore Farm. The appeal of the Royal Academy mare, bought as an eight-year-old for 160,000gns from the Tattersalls December Sale in 2008, was obvious. Her two-year-old son The Cheka had won an Ascot maiden by ten lengths and run second in the Solario Stakes that season, and she hailed from the outstanding Juddmonte family of Elmaamul and Zafonic.
Veiled Beauty’s pedigree actually improved even further in the years immediately following her purchase. The Cheka developed into a high-class sprinter, winning the Timeform Jury Stakes and finishing runner-up in the July Cup, and the mare’s half-sister Model Queen became the dam of dual Group 1 hero Regal Parade and Acomb Stakes scorer Entifaadha. Elite winners Announce, Midday and Prohibit also emerged further down her page.
The first foal that Chasemore Farm bred from Veiled Beauty was the Byron filly she was carrying at the time of her purchase. Given a typically tongue in cheek name, Big Old Unit ran only once, when finishing last of 18 runners in a Newbury maiden.
Never mind, as better was to come. The mare’s second Chasemore-bred foal was the Singspiel filly Wall Of Sound. Trained by Tom Dascombe, she won three races and found only the top-notcher Secret Gesture too good in the Warwickshire Oaks.
Wall Of Sound is now blossoming into a broodmare of serious consequence. Her first foal, the four-year-old Elusive Quality filly Flighty Almighty, won a Wolverhampton novice stakes and was far from disgraced when sixth in the Michael Seeley Memorial Fillies’ Stakes. She is now based in the US with Christophe Clement.
Wall Of Sound’s second produce is the three-year-old Kingman filly Boomer. The attractive bay defeated future Group winners Dark Lady and Shadn to take the Prestige Stakes and ran second to the classy Powerful Breeze in the May Hill Stakes at two. She has shown little this year at three, but has recently been enjoying some R&R at Chasemore Farm and should be back in training in the weeks ahead.
Wall Of Sound’s third offspring could be even better still. The Sea The Stars two-year-old colt Uncle Bryn - named in honour of Rob Brydon’s character in Gavin and Stacey, one of Andrew and Jane’s favourite comedies - made his debut for John Gosden in a mile maiden at Kempton in September and created a huge impression.
Uncle Bryn was held up at the rear of the field but made rapid headway two furlongs from home and powered clear to register a three-length victory over the Godolphin colt Local Law. “He looks like a smart middle-distance prospect for next year,” the Racing Post reported.
The result was timely to say the least, as Wall Of Sound has a yearling daughter by Postponed who is coming up for sale at the Arqana Deauville Select Sale this week. La Motteraye Consignment are presenting as Lot 284 on behalf of Chasemore Farm.
Wall Of Sound also has a filly foal by Le Havre and, unsurprisingly considering Boomer’s heroics, is back in foal to Kingman. The ten-year-old could reasonably be described as not only the most exciting young producer at Chasemore Farm, but anywhere in the British broodmare ranks.
Veiled Beauty, meanwhile, is still keeping a watchful eye over the younger names at Chasemore Farm at the age of 20. Her three-year-old son Leadership Race is a dual winner for Ger Lyons and has shown some smart form this season, while her two-year-old Dandy Man filly Robustly is at present a paddock mate of Boomer on the stud in preparation for her racecourse career.
Veiled Beauty also has a Sea The Moon yearling colt heading for Tattersalls October Book 2 and she is in foal to Ten Sovereigns.
Oh, and remember her Rock Hard Ten filly who played such an important part in Chasemore Farm history? Well, she was named Opportuna and has now returned to the farm as a broodmare, it is worth noting that her first two offspring are Grade 3-placed Last Opportunity and recent impressive Kempton novice stakes winner Round Six.
Veiled Beauty is turning out to be a shrewd broodmare acquisition indeed.
