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Brilliant filly is now three from three in the US

Awtaad proved yet again that he is one of the best value stallions in Europe when his daughter Anisette became his second Group/Grade 1 winner of the year in the Del Mar Oaks on Saturday.

The Irish 2,000 Guineas winning-son of Cape Cross, standing at Derrinstown Stud, has already been represented in 2023 by Anmaat, who showed a thrilling turn of foot to win the Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp in May.

Awtaad, whose oldest crop are still only five years old, is the sire of ten black-type winners in total, also including Group 2 victor Al Qareem and Group 3 scorers Create Belief and Diamil.

He stood at Derrinstown at a fee of just €5,000 this year.

His latest star Anisette was bred by the Morera Partnership out of Tutti Frutti, a placed Teofilo half-sister to Nassau Stakes heroine Sultanina. She won a Wolverhampton novice stakes by four lengths for Kevin Philippart de Foy last December, before her private sale to be trained by Leonard Powell for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in the US.

Anisette is now unbeaten in three starts stateside, in a Santa Anita allowance, the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes and the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, which was an outstanding last-to-first performance winning by nearly three lengths eased down.

Powell told the Bloodhorse: “She’s been very straightforward since we got her. She’s like a little moped. You can put her wherever you want. She’s got a great quality in that she’s got two or three moves in a race, not only one move. That’s a great help for a jockey.

“Her turn of foot made the difference at the top of the lane. I didn’t think we’d be so far back, especially with a half mile in :47, but she was good enough to overcome that and close the ground.”