The impeccably bred Battle For Glory made a winning debut when scoring a nose victory in the Racegoers Club 50th Anniversary EBF Novice Stakes at Newmarket on Friday afternoon.
A 2yo son of War Front, the John Gosden trained two-year-old, whose dam once made 4.7 million guineas in the sales ring, Battle For Glory was always prominent and, despite being headed four furlongs out, fought back gamely to post a nose debut victory in Friday’s seven furlong contest.
Battle For Glory is the second foal produced by the Pivotal sired Immortal Verse, one of the best racemares of her generation.
Out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Side Of Paradise, Immortal Verse won four times including the 2011 G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, beating triple G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova, and the 2011 G1 Coronation Stakes.
She was also third to the legendary champion Frankel in the 2011 G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
Immortal Verse, who earned over £640 000 in stakes, is out of a daughter of Mill Reef matron Mill Princess, who is best known as the dam of G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and champion sire Last Tycoon.
She is also ancestress of French classic winners Valentine Waltz and Tie Black.
Mill Princess is also third dam of the outstanding G3 winning Pivotal mare Beauty Is Truth, whose four group winners include Moutonshoek’s G1 Ranvet Stakes winner The United States, multiple G1 winner Hydrangea and 2018 G3 Weld Park Stakes winner Hermosa.
The latter rates a leading classic hope for 2019.