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The influence of Sharpen Up's son Diesis was strongly felt on the Thursday of Newmarket's July meeting. Last year's St. Leger (gr. I) winner Lucarno -- out of a mare by Diesis -- led throughout to take the Princess of Wales's Stakes (gr. II), while 2-year-old Classic Blade (by a son of Diesis) employed similar tactics to take the July Stakes (gr. II).

Lucarno is a product of a cross that has enjoyed tremendous success, that of Dynaformer (TrueNicks, SRO) over mares by Diesis. There are no fewer than five stakes winners on the cross -- which not surprisingly is TrueNicks rated A++ - while we can note that graded winners Diadella and New Girlfriend are by Diesis out of mares by Dynaformer.

The late Lord Howard de Walden, breeder of Diesis, once made the tongue-in-cheek comment that "incest is best" after his colt, Carmelite House (by Diesis, out of a half-sister to Diesis), had captured the Houghton Stakes, so he surely would have appreciated the pedigree of both Classic Blade and his sire, Daggers Drawn.

A son of Diesis, Daggers Drawn, was a dual group winner at 2. His pedigree is somewhat reminiscent of that of Carmelite House, as his third dam, Milly Moss, was a three-parts-sister to Soft Angels, the granddam of Diesis. Daggers Drawn is out of a mare by Ajdal, and Classic Blade's dam gives a second cross of Ajdal's sire, Northern Dancer, and his dam, Native Partner.

Filed under: Recent Winners