Peach Tree completed a Listed race double for Aidan O’Brien at Navan, as she justified favouritism in the Staffordstown Stud Stakes. Peach Tree is bred on the same cross that produced Flying The Flag, by Galileo out of a Pivotal mare.

A good second in a Gr3 at the Curragh last month, the daughter of Galileo since acted as a pacemaker in a Group 2 contest at Doncaster.

Having opened on-course at 7/2, the chestnut victor eventually went off the 5/2 market leader with Donnacha O’Brien in the saddle.

Settled behind the leaders in third, she improved into second approaching the straight, and got to the front with just under two furlongs left to race. She was soon ridden and kept on well from the furlong pole, going on to score comfortably by a length and three parts.

Donnacha O’Brien said afterwards: “She’s a grand genuine filly. She got a nice tow into the race and stuck her head out when I gave her a few hits.”

An international Group winner who competed in the highest racing echelons in Europe, the bred-in-the-purple Flying The Flag has created a lot of excitement in KZN – he has let down into a very big imposing stallion and has a very gentle temperament and demeanour.

His progeny ooze plenty of class, with the perfect balance of substance and quality, good bone and muscular hindquarters. His full sisters Rhododendron (3-time Gr1 winner) and Magical (Gr2 winner) have continued to prove the pedigree, and we look forward to his first crop of yearlings that will be on offer in 2019.

Flying The Flag stands for a fee of R20 000 at Warwick and Karin Render’s Bush Hill Stud. This is also the immediate family of the brilliant Gr1 winner Photo Call and Verglas.

extract – Alan Magee