National Defense

INVINCIBLE SPIRIT has created a stallion dynasty from his base at the Irish National Stud, one that stretches from Europe to Australia, and the patriarch is not finished yet – he adds new Group 1 winners to his roll of honour each year.

National Defense has mighty hoof-prints to fill, standing alongside his father in Kildare, but he has the genes to do so as he is a grandson of Kingmambo and a descendant of the outstanding Anna Paola, winner of the Preis der Diana (G1) in 1981, and the ancestress of champions around the globe.

A stand-out from a young age, National Defense was sold for €280,000 as a yearling at Arqana’s August Sale when bought by Sun Bloodstock from breeders Ecurie Monceaux and Meridian International.

Sent into training with Madame Criquette Head, he made his debut in a Deauville mile maiden in August of his two-year-old season, winning comfortably. Upgraded straight into Group 3 company in the mile Prix des Chenes, he finished third, and was stepped up again in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère when he came home nearly 5f clear of the field.

He ran twice at three, finishing second behind subsequent Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Al Wukair in the Group 3 Prix Djebel before running in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains won by Brametot. He retired to stud as the only Group 1-winning stallion at two by Invincible Spirit at stud in Ireland or the UK.

National Defense hails from one of the strongest maternal lines – his dam Angel Falls is a half-sister to the Listed winners Iguazu Falls, Advice and Anna Salai, who also finished second in the Irish 1,000 Guineas (G1). She is also a half-sister to the dam of South African Group 1-placed Dubai Gina. Second dam Anna Palariva is a daughter of Caerleon and won the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale. She is a half-sister to the dam of Ave, winner of the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational, and their dam is the Group 3 winner Anna Of Saxony, an Ela-Mana-Mou half-sister to Accessories. She is the unraced dam of Group 1 winners and sires Epaulette and Helmet, sire of Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Thunder Snow, and the Group 3 winner and Group 1 second Bullbars, and Pearls, a Group 2 winner.

Anna Of Saxony is a granddaughter of Anna Matrushka, who is also the second dam of Group 1 Racing Post Trophy winner Anus Mirabilis. Anna Paola’s line has also been cultivated by the late Bob McCreery through Anna Oleanda, a half-sister to Anna Matrushka, and the dam of Group 3 winners Anna Nerium, Middle Club and Piping Rock, and Coplow. She is the dam of Group 1 1,000 Guineas and Sun Chariot Stakes winner Billesdon Brook.

National Defense was strongly supported at stud by both the Irish National Stud and Sun Bloodstock, who supplied him with high-class mares. Other prominent breeders who used him in his first season included Kirsten Rausing, Barouche Stud and Oghill House Stud. Almamia, a winning Hernando half-sister to Group 3 winner Algonquin and out of the Group 1 dual Champion Stakes heroine Alborada, has a yearling colt by National Defense.

Her Sadler’s Wells half-sister Alta Moda has a filly from National Defense’s first crop. Albarouche, a Sadler’s Wells full-sister to Derby second Dragon Dancer, from the same family as Almamia and Alta Moda, has a National Defense yearling filly. Twelve members of that first crop exchanged hands at public auction in Europe for an average of 19,085gns. The most expensive at Goffs November was a filly out of the German Listed-placed mare Wild Step, bought for €42,000 by Sun Bloodstock. Her second dam Zaynat is an Unfuwain full-sister to the Group 1 Nassau Stakes winner Zahrat Dubai.

The late Brian Kennedy bred the most expensive National Defense foal at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale – Violet Hesketh and Mimi Wadham going to 37,000gns for the half-sister to three winners, including the Italian Listed-placed filly City Of Stars. The top price achieved by a colt was also at Goffs where the Michael Buckley and Ian Thompson-bred foal out of Salty Sugar, a daughter of Oasis Dream from the family of Grade 1 winners Reynaldothewizard and Undrafted, made €40,000 to John Troy.

Racing Form

Five runs, two wins, two places | Best Timeform Rating: 118 | Average winning distance: 8.00f

Stakes form

AT 2 Jt 2nd top rated 2yr old colt in Europe in 2016, Champion 2yr old colt in France in 2016. Won Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium, Chantilly, Gr.1, (8f. beating Salouen (IRE) and Whitecliffsofdover (USA)), third in Prix des Chenes, Chantilly, Gr.3, (to Akihiro (JPN)).

AT 3 Second in Prix Djebel, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.3, (to Al Wukair (IRE)).