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Bought for 60,000 guineas by Blandford Bloodstock at Book 2 of the Tattersalls 2020 October Yearling Sale, Emily Upjohn has repaid her owners ten times over, accumulating £600,000 in winnings.
She impressed with a devastating turn of foot in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs, accelerating past Irish Derby winner Westover to score by one-and-three-quarter lengths. It was redemption for the filly – twelve months earlier, she had stumbled coming out of the stalls in the course and distance Oaks and just failed to peg back eventual winner Tuesday by a short head. A subsequent victory in the Group 1 Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes' alongside her Epsom win has cemented her position at the top of the middle-distance tree.
Emily Upjohn's success came too late for New England Stud, who sold dam Hidden Brief at the 2019 December Mare Sale to Gaelic Bloodstock for a mere 16,000 guineas. Although the mare had produced two individual winners, Inshaa and Mushaireb, she had failed to live up to the reputation of her illustrious family. The thirteen-year-old Hidden Brief had proven barren in 2016 and slipped a foal in 2018.
Hidden Brief hailed from the Aga Khan Stud and boasted a Black Type pedigree that is generally unmatched. A daughter of Barathea, she was out of two-time winner Hazardjat and a full-sister to Hazarista, who was victorious in the Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes before a third in the Group 1 Irish Oaks. Hazardjat had also produced Group 3 winner Hazariya (Xaar), who would become an integral part of the Aga Khan breeding operation.
Hazariya was victorious in the Group 3 Athasi Stud Stakes and became an instant success at stud, producing Black Type performers in 2007 (Hazarafa – Listed Finale Stakes), 2008 (Haziyna – placed at Group 3 level) and 2010 (Harasiya – Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes). Her best offspring by far was a Sea The Stars colt in 2013, who was named Harzand and completed the Epsom-Irish Derby double in 2016 before retiring to the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud. He was sold to stand at Kilbarry Lodge Stud in 2022 and has produced one Group winner, but has generally been favoured as a National Hunt stallion.
On the back of Harzand's Classic success, Hazariya was sent to the Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale in 2016 and was sold as top-lot for 2,000,000 guineas to John Magnier. On a smaller scale, a similar scenario played out in 2022. Hidden Angel, a half-sister to Emily Upjohn, benefitted from the Group 1 exploits of her sister and sold for 370,000 guineas at the December Mares Sale. It was a significant rise in value from her 25,000 guineas cost at Book 3 of the October Yearling Sales in 2018.
