Well in the market when making his debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate at Randwick on October 5, North England (Farnan) gave a bold sight in that early feature, showing good pace before being pressured; only to be claimed over the final stages by King Kirk (Ole Kirk) and Tempestuous (Extreme Choice).

We thought he was pretty unlucky not to win that race,” Henry Field rued. “He was taken on by a longshot only to be run down late.

“He has had a week off and he was really good this morning. He ran a sizzling time, breaking 46 seconds which is rare at Hawkesbury.

“We are really excited about his prospects, and we loved him as a yearling; he was the pick of the (Inglis) Classic sale and the only horse we bought there.

“He is a big, strong, powerful Farnan and he is a stallion who has nice credentials.

“He has a fair bit of his damsire Lope De Vega about him, that size and strength.”

An easy Randwick-Kensington trial winner prior to his debut, the Zhongli Thoroughbreds-bred colt was the first runner for his Kia Ora-based, G1 Golden Slipper-winning sire who has 114 foals in his first crop.

Purchased by Newgate with the China Horse Club, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy for $280,000 at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, he has a number of high hitters in his ownership group including Cunningham Thoroughbreds, Nick Vass Bloodstock, Aristia Park Bloodstock and Corumbene Stud.

Drawing comfortably away from Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) to win his heat by 0.59l, North England is the third foal produced by the Randwick and Warwick Farm winner Our Belisa (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

A mare who has not had the best of luck since producing North England (missing at her last two seasons), Our Belisa is one of the six winners (from as many foals to race) for the winner Saltator (Testa Rossa).

She is also the dam of the eight-time winner Sunrise Dancer (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and the seven-time winner Real Salty (Real Impact {Jpn}) from the family of the Listed Chautauqua S. winner A Little Deep (Deep Field).

This is one of those families that always seems to pop up with a good one and it has certainly been well represented in stakes company over the years; North England able to boast amongst his relations the big race winners Reward For Effort, Jokers Wild (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe {USA}), Brawny Spirit (Rustic Amber {Ire}), Ivory’s Irish and Hit The Roof (NZ) (Maroof {GB}) as well as the RL Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic winner Catnipped (Rory’s Jester).

North England has an interesting pedigree, bred on a 4 X 5 cross of the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Helen Street (GB) (Troy {GB}) via her son Street Cry (Ire) and grandson Shamardal {USA}). Those two high class stallions have combined in the pedigrees of 54 winners, five of whom are stakes winners.

North England is bound for the $1 million Golden Gift at Rosehill on November 9.

Story from The Thoroughbred Report