“I’m hoping to have two G1 winners by New Approach this year”
Jim Bolger gives an insight to several stand-out progeny of New Approach
Jim Bolger and New Approach after winning the Dewhurst in 2007
With two Classic winners already on the board courtesy of 2,000 Guineas winner and fellow Darley stallion Dawn Approach and Oaks heroine Talent, New Approach could well add to his Classic tally this year. Jim Bolger, who guided him through his racing career, could be the man to provide his former charge with further glory on the racecourse.
Almost eight years to the day after New Approach recorded a scintillating victory in the G2 Futurity Stakes at The Curragh, his son Herald The Dawn emulated his achievement last August, marking him as a colt with a very smart future.
New Approach in his paddock
Herald The Dawn is just the latest classy performer by New Approach to emerge from the nursery of Jim Bolger, who has continued to strongly support the son of Galileo at stud. To date, he has enjoyed success as the breeder and trainer of such luminaries as four-time G1 winner Dawn Approach, his younger brother Herald The Dawn, and as breeder of G3 winner Ceisteach, all by New Approach.
Both Herald The Dawn and the Stakes-winning filly Glamorous Approach were bred by Bolger and both could be on target for a big year.
Herald The Dawn winning the G2 Futurity Stakes in 2015
Speaking last month about some of the progeny of New Approach at his Glebe House yard, Bolger commented: “I’m hoping to have two G1 winners by him this year, and I have some very nice two-year-olds by him that I’m very happy with.”
Herald The Dawn advertised his talent in some style in the G2 Futurity before finishing runner-up to current 2,000 Guineas favourite Air Force Blue in the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh. He was then far from disgraced when unlucky in running in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere at Longchamp on his final race of the season.
Glamorous Approach made a winning debut at Tipperary six days before Herald The Dawn’s first racecourse appearance, and made her way quietly through the ranks with a placing in Listed company and a nursery before arriving at Newmarket in October.
The Listed Zetland Stakes brought a step up in trip from a mile to ten furlongs, and the February-born filly showed her appreciation for the extra distance with a very likable performance, seeing off a field of seven winners to score by a length and a quarter.
After the race, Bolger nominated the Oaks as a likely target for the filly, telling reporters: “We see Glamorous Approach as an Oaks filly. The extra couple of furlongs was a help to her here and she’ll love the mile and a half. She is a lovely filly.”
Glamorous Approach winning the Zetland Stakes in 2015
Having enjoyed such great success with New Approach both on the racecourse and in the paddocks, it is little surprise that he will again play a big role in Bolger’s mating plans for the 2016 season.
“I’ll be sending my usual quota of mares to him this season, including Hymn Of The Dawn who delivered a chestnut colt by him a few days ago [early February],” he commented.
With top-class mares to fill his dance card throughout his stud career to date, New Approach also has numerous exciting juveniles to represent him this year as well, fuelling further dreams of Classic glory further down the line.
Among the promising two-year-olds currently housed at his Coolcullen yard, Bolger picks out three as ones to keep a watchful eye on this season.
“Hymn Of The Dawn’s two-year-old, Dawn Of A New Era, is a big filly and she will be one for mid-season,” he says of the full-sister to both Dawn Approach and the high-class Herald The Dawn.
Other juveniles to get the nod include a filly out of the winning Macho Uno mare Tiffilia, from the further family of the G1 Kentucky Oaks heroine Dispute, who her trainer says “goes very well”. Also well regarded is a filly out of the G1 Nassau Stakes winner Favourable Terms (Selkirk) who Bolger says “is very nice and will be an early one.”
As a Classic winner with an impeccable pedigree, New Approach has been strongly supported by breeders since he retired to stud. However his dazzling first crop, that made him the first sire ever to sire three juvenile winners at Royal Ascot and went on to include two Classic winners, caused his stock to rise even higher.
As such, in his early years at stud his best book of mares was arguably in 2013, following that exceptional first juvenile crop and the resulting foals will race as two-year-olds this season, giving every hope that there are even better things to come.
