19/11/11 2yo LYCIDAS won in England
now three 2yo winners in England, France and Ireland
The 2yo LYCIDAS (ZAMINDAR-La Felicita) won in quite promising style at his second start. Having been second at his debut the colt, bred by Graf und Grafin Stauffenberg at their SCHLOSSGUT ITLINGEN, won going away from the field with an eased down 2 1/2 length at Wolverhampton. Trained and part owned by the young Toby Coles and ridden by Stevie Donohoe, LYCIDAS is the fifth winner from six runners out of the Stakes placed La Felicita. It would be wonderful, if he turns out to be as good as his own brother in blood, the Gr.3 winner LUCIDOR (by ZAFONIC) or one of his sisters the Gr.1 winner LADY MARIAN (by NAYEF) so far the best horse bred by the Stauffenbergs´ after winning the Prix de l´Opera on Arc day.
LYCIDAS has been at two sales without being sold. First he was at the BBAG Yearling Sales, but did not reach his reserve. Then he went to the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales Part I, but had to be withdrawn after getting sore through after changing his shoes. However Toby Coles had seen and liked the yearling. He did not get together a syndicate of clients to buy the horse. But after his mentor Sir Mark Prescot had spoken in high regards of the young man, he gave Graf Stauffenberg quite a good cigar and joked:" I give you a good cigar and you give the young guy a chance!" And so he and his wife decided to do so.
Winning his Maiden, LYCIDAS became the third winner from four runners and only eight foals of the 2009 crop bred Graf und Grafin Stauffenberg. The others are GOLDEN ERA, owned by Gerard Augustin-Normand in France, followed by FRONTIER in the colours of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs John Magnier in Ireland and now LYCIDAS in England. This shows as well, how international the breeding of the couple is, as none of these wins came in the country were they have been born and raised.