First Runner Provides Saxon Warrior With Perfect Start

Saxon Warrior mirrored the perfect start made by fellow freshman sire Sioux Nation when his first runner scored at Le Lion D’Angers on Sunday.

Ser Sed (2c Saxon Warrior - Lady Livonia, by Frankel) was produced by Hugo Lebouc on the turn for home and ran on well to lead close home, taking the five and a half furlong maiden by a neck. Trained by Joel Boisnard for Azeddine Sedrati and Jean-Claude Seroul, the smart colt was bred by Gestut Ammerland.

Saxon Warrior was unbeaten in all three of his starts as a two-year-old, the season culminating in a thrilling finish to the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy, after which Aidan O’Brien described him as “a very special horse.” He went on to land the 2,000 Guineas on his seasonal return, with other admirable performances that season including a three quarter length defeat to Latrobe (Camelot) in the Irish Derby and two narrow defeats in Group 1 contests over ten furlongs.

The son of Deep Impact was bred to be special, being out of Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Maybe (Galileo), whose three runners have all earned black-type. Top-class race mare Dancing Rain features further down the page, along with Derby victor Dr Devious.

Saxon Warrior passed his first test as a stallion with flying colours, with his progeny fetching up to 540,000gns at the 2021 yearling sales, which undoubtedly encouraged foal buyers to stretch to 200,000gns for his second crop.