Cambridgeshire bred Tea For Tess (Head Bound-Millisupreme, Sep 15) landed the BGBF British Bred Oaks at Doncaster on Monday night.
Richard Devenish’s bitch pursued the locally trained outsider Watchall Winnie (25-1) before prevailing by a head in 2994 (-30) for the 483m. Favourite Queen Beyonce gave away five lengths at the start and ran on powerfully without ever having a winner’s chance.
It was another success for Richard Devenish and Dilys Steel’s Glatton range, a kennel that first made its mark with Glatton Grange in 1983, as well as considerable success on the coursing field, notably with Glatton General.
Tea For Tess’s roots go a long way back in Cambridgeshire soil to Glenoe Star (Phantom Flash-Bach In Front), who Dilys trained towards the end of her career in the late 1990s.
Star produced three excellent litters by Toms The Best and the kennel won the a Summer Stayers Classic with Glencoe Tom, and the 2002 St.Leger with Alibulk Lad. The latter was from the middle of the three litters and her litter comrades included Eye Opener.
When Eye Opener was mated to Cool Performance, she produced a Peterborough Puppy Derby finliast in Vin Rouge, a National Sprint finalist in Banjo Kazooie, and a 2010 Fengate Collar finalist in Milliesupreme.
Milliesupreme produced three litters before being retired. The first two were by Head Bound. The star of the first litter was the prolific Romany Rouge, winner of a £5,000 Lawrence Jones final at Monmore, but a multi big race finalist including runner-up spots in the Doncaster St.Leger and Produce Stakes. All 10 members of the litter won races, with four winning opens.
There were nine in the repeat mating, including Tea For Tess, of which eight won races, and four have won opens.
Richard said: “The only one who didn’t make it was a little bitch called Glattonquickstep. It was very sad because we lost her at nine months, suffering from fits. Even more sad is that she was owned by the late Irene McNally, who lived long enough to see the rest of the litter make it to the track but sadly not her own little bitch.”
They have not been a particularly lucky litter with four having broken hocks, though Thameside Bound, rated to have very similar ability to Tea For Tess prior to injury, due to trial back this week.
In fact, Milliesupreme’s last litter are about to qualify. Richard has four, Ben McBride has two, and another was lost at nine months old.
Looking further ahead, there are a litter of a dozen by Holdem Spy out of Riverside Breda, who are coming up to 12 months old, and absolute beuts according to their breeder. (Needless to say, as second generation Hondo Black pups – they are all guaranteed to be black).
Younger still are the last ever litter of Droopys Vieri pups out of former open racer Ballymac Godsend and all “absolute fiery little buggers” already.
British Bred Oaks winner Tea For Tess with owner Wendy Prince. Photo: © Steve Nash
