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It looks as if we have a pretty strong European freshman sire crop this year. The weekend saw Danehill's son Oratorio vault into third - to Shamardal and Dubawi, with Footstepsinsand fourth - when his offspring finished first and second in a close fought renewal of the Dewhurst Stakes (gr. I).

The winner, Beethoven, is out of Queen Titi, a daughter of Sadler's Wells (and TrueNicks rated A, on the Danehill/Sadler's Wells cross). The Dewhurst runner-up, Fencing Master (TrueNicks A++) is out of Moonlight Dance, a daughter of Alysheba. Winner of the Prix Saint-Alary (gr. I), Moonlight Dance is out of the undefeated French Oaks (gr. I) and French 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) heroine Madelia.

Another sire to have a juvenile stakes first and second at the weekend was Giant's Causeway (TrueNicks,SRO) . His daughter, Saying (TrueNicks A) took the Prix Herod at Longchamp. She is out of the Cheveley Park Stakes (gr. I) heroine Pas de Reponse. A daughter of Danzig, Pas de Reponse is half-sister to three other stakes winners, including the French 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) winner, Green Tune. This is a rather interesting pedigree, as Saying's third dam, Ocean's Answer, is a three-parts-sister to Storm Bird, the grandsire of Giant's Causeway. The runner-up Olvia (TrueNicks A++) is out of Mill Guineas, a stakes placed daughter of Salse, who is half-sister to group winner Ronda (dam of Gone West's multiple graded winning son, and young sire, Istan (TrueNicks,SRO)). The third dam, Memory Lane, is a group winning sister to Mill Reef.

A few days earlier, another extremely well-bred son of Giant's Causeway, Eightfold Path (TrueNicks A++) captured the Prix Eclipse (gr. III). Bred on an identical cross to group/grade I winners Red Giant and Maids Causeway, Eightfold Path is the first foal of Divine Proportions (by Kingmambo (TrueNicks,SRO) ), an exceptional  mare who won five group I events, including the French 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) and French Oaks (gr. I), and was a genetic sister to group I winner Whipper (by Miesque's Son, a brother to Kingmambo), himself a group sire with his first crop this year.  The second dam, Myth to Reality, is a black-type winner by Salder's Wells, out of a sister to Shirley Heights.