Fledgling operation Leahan Bloodstock already starting to see results

The County Kildare-based Leahan Bloodstock enjoyed a red-letter day on Saturday when three-year-old filly Kastasa bounded clear of the opposition in the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh.

The Aga Khan homebred is now a five-time winner but was marked down in the catalogue as an unraced two-year-old when her dam Kasanka was sourced as a foundation mare for €40,000 by the fledgling operation at last year's Goffs November Sale.

Kastasa is the first Pattern winner for the 11-year-old Kasanka, a Galileo half-sister to Irish St Leger scorer Kastoria from the same family as dual Derby hero and sire Kahyasi.

"Kasanka was one of the first three mares we purchased last year," said Paul Leahy, who runs Leahan Bloodstock together with his wife Sinead Whelan - manager of Forenaghts Stud - and her father Michael.

"We saw from her page she hadn't had much luck. We watched Kastasa's debut at Thurles last October and thought she could improve for the run, so we took a chance, and the mare is by Galileo so there was a lot to like."

There appears to be plenty more in the pipeline for Kasanka, who will have a fallow year.

"Her two-year-old Charm Spirit filly Kassaba was fourth on debut at Leopardstown and looks promising for next year," said Leahy.

"She's also got a Fast Company yearling colt and a Profitable filly foal, so the pedigree is only really getting going.

"We rested Kasanka this year. She's been very good and had gone in foal every year, so we decided to give her a break and get on the right side of things when she's 13 years old."

The Leahan Bloodstock team of Michael Whelan, Sinead Whelan and Paul LeahyCredit: Leahan Bloodstock

The other two mares in the Leahan Bloodstock fold are Khameela, an Equiano half-sister to the smart Minalisa sourced at the same sale as Kasanka for €17,000 from Baroda and Colbinstown Studs, and Stained Glass, an ex-Juddmonte mare by Dansili acquired for €2,000 at Tattersalls Ireland.

Khameela has a Belardo foal and paid a visit to Gustav Klimt this year, while Stained Glass has a Tagula foal and was covered by Markaz in the spring.

September also saw the Leahan Bloodstock graduate Top Buck return to the winner's enclosure after scoring impressively at Bath.

"We used to call him Danny as he's a son of Dandy Man," said Leahy. "He's done well - he was third on his second start in the Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes at Chester over five furlongs and ended up winning over a mile, and looks like he might want even further. He was the first one to really get us going."

Top Buck was pinhooked by Leahan Bloodstock together with Craig Lennon of Lennon Bloodstock, and went from a €14,000 foal at Goffs to a £30,000 yearling in Doncaster, where he caught the eye of Sam Sangster when offered by Tinnakill House.

"We're looking to turn the business into something full-time down the line but we're in no rush," added Leahy. "We'll build it up slowly and maybe add one or two mares each year."

Leahan Bloodstock's Galileo foundation mare KasankaCredit: Goffs

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