The family
This chestnut gelding is the second produce of the unraced
Mistress Pope. As well as this lad, there is a year older gelding by
Ocovango named Pinkerton, a useful jumper (bumper/hurdle winner)
with Noel Meade. There's also a 2018 filly by Soldier of Fortune, a 2019 colt by Sans Frontieres
(Potter's Voyage), a 2020 colt by Soldier of Fortune, a 2022 filly
by Order of St. George. She visited Santiago in 2022.
There's a fair amount of black type in the family. The second dam
Hot Curry was also unraced but she is the dam of Frascati Park, an
8-time winner of bumpers, hurdles and chases, being placed several
times in Grade 2 contests. Fix The Rib won 5 races and was pattern
placed twice over fences.
The 3rd dam Takeaway Curry - an own sister to the Grade 2 placed Corymandel - has bred 5 individual winners including the pattern
placed chasers Curfew Tolls and Nosuch Thing.
A fine National Hunt family
About the sire
Leading Light (bay h born 2010) was purchased by the Coolmore 'Lads'
as a yearling and trained throughout his career by Aidan O'Brien.
He
won over 9 furlongs as a 2yr old but really blossomed in his next
season when tackling middle distances and staying trips. He won the 2013 St.
Leger (Champion 3yr old Stayer in Europe) and followed that the next
season when winning the Ascot Gold Cup as part of a hat-trick of
victories.
A strong, rangy horse he was rated at 125 by Timeform in his prime.
Retired to stud in 2015 to stand at one of Collmore's NH studs (Grange),
he enjoyed a full book of mares
in his initial years. From a start fee €4,500, this dropped
after a couple of years to €3,000, then moved to Dunraven Stud in Wales for 2022 at a fee of £2,500.
His oldest progeny are now 6yr olds in 2022, but he has made a very fine start already with numerous jumps winners in Ireland and Britain, headed by Grade 1 winning hurdler Three Stripe Life and Listed bumper winner Top Dog.
Season 2023-24 outlook
After an initial run last season to gain a handicap mark, Eden Mill
provided several thrills for TD9 Racing on the racecourse in
2022-23, albeit at a modest level.
He reached the frame twice, and indeed at Carlisle on his
penultimate race of the season, he looked the likely winner. Leading
over the last with Craig Nichol driving hard, Eden Mill was just
headed in the final 100 yds. agonisingly losing out by less
than ½ length in 3rd.
He probably had enough for the season when pulled up at Perth at the
end of April.
His (start of the season) handicap mark of OR77 certainly gives
him opportunities to shine in small handicap hurdles should he be
able to replicate his best form of 2022-23. Probably best suited by
2½ miles, he has shown he acts with plenty of ease in the ground.
Depending on his progress during the season, a tilt at the
(slightly) larger obstacles may be on his agenda later on.
Profile....
Eden Mill was originally a Rob Bewley
purchase at the delayed Tattersalls
2020 May Store Sale and came into our yard for the 2021-22 season.
He did impress the staff with his early work on the gallops at that
stage, and in a racing partnership with Jimmy Fyfe, Eden Mill ran in a couple of bumpers. He actually finished 4th
on debut at Musselburgh but proved an awkward ride that day - he
would surely have gone close to winning but for some wayward mannerisms.
That debut run 2021-22 season was full of promise and he followed
that with another three outings, the latter two - under TD9 Racing
Partnership ownership - both over hurdles at Hexham with the first of these being
the better.
Season | win | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | other | |
2021-22 | NH Flat | 1 | 1 | |||
Hurdles | 1 | |||||
2022-23 | Hurdles | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
2023-24 | Hurdles | 1 | 1 | 2 |