FAMILY TIES - ANNO WHYTE

Lecky Watson’s emphatic success at Naas this week on chasing debut had a nice symmetry to it, given that he finished a length-and-a-quarter up on Slade Steel, who had previously pipped him in a Grade 2 hurdle at Navan about a year ago. Willie Mullins’ charge is the product of two of Whytemount Stud’s stalwarts, being by Valirann out of a daughter of Stowaway named Anno Whyte. Lecky was consigned by Whytemount as a foal in 2018 at a Goffs December National Hunt Sale and changed hands for a mere €12,000.

Anno Whyte’s own career on the track was modest, to say the least – she pulled up in a bumper at Gowran Park on her only start. Lecky Watson could have more than made up for this on his own, but his half-sister looks to be a useful type too. Anno Power is in training with Harry Fry and the five-year-old emulated her older brother when striking first time out over hurdles in November. Milestone Bloodstock gave a modest €26,000 for the daughter of Affinisea as a store, a purchase that looks to be quite shrewd given that her form is now 2-1-1-1. Annie K is also out of Anno Whyte by Valirann, and therefore an own sister to Lecky – although never finding her form under rules she did win her point-to-point at Turtulla on debut prior to realising £170,000 at the Goffs Tingle Creek Sale.

When looking through Anno Whyte’s pedigree, it is not hard to find the sort of quality that indicates her offspring could have some talent. She is out of Anno Mundi, a mare who also produced the Grade 2-winner Giantofaman and Grade 2-performer Stowaway Shark. Anno Mundi is a daughter of the Aphrodite Stakes winner Anno Luce, which makes her a half-sister to the almost matchless hurdler Annie Power. Annie Power’s five top-level successes were enough to earn her a meeting with Galileo, the product of which was a colt foal now known as Mystical Power.

Mystical Power finished just behind Slade Steel at the Festival this year, before going on to land the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree and the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. Sir Gino beat him by a long way in the Fighting Fifth, but last season’s form was such that he should still be respected upon potential reappearance at Leopardstown after Christmas.

Anno Luce’s dam (Lecky Watson’s fifth dam) is Anna Paola, who was a German champion two- and three-year-old in the eighties. There are too many other successful exponents of this family to cover here (Billesdon Brook and Adayar to name just two) but one more modern example is that of Shuwari, a daughter of New Bay trained by Ollie Sangster. She is out of a granddaughter of Anno Luce called Lady Pimpernel, and bested Fallen Angel in a Listed race at Sandown last year, before finding only Ylang Ylang too good in the Fillies’ Mile.

written by Gabriella Herbert

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