Home

Tragically, the brilliant Dubai Millennium died after serving just one season at stud. He was represented by just 56 registered foals, of which 35 started, and five were stakes winners. The best of his three group winners was the colt Dubawi, winner of the National Stakes (gr. I), Irish 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) and Prix Jacques Le Marois (gr. I), and placed third in the Epsom Derby (gr. I).
 
Dubawi made a very good start with his first crop two-year-olds last year, his representatives including the Flying Childers Stakes (gr. II) victress Sand Vixen, and Poet’s Voice, who took the Champagne Stakes (gr. II). It appears as if he’s at least maintaining the tempo this year, as the last week has seen two of his sons advance their classic claims.
 
The first was Worthadd, who on Sunday, took the Premio Gardone, a prep for the Italian 2,000 Guineas. Worthadd’s dam, Wigman, is by Rahy, out of Urjwan, a daughter of Seattle Slew and the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) victress, White Star Line (by Northern Dancer, from the Fast Line/Throttle Wide family). Wigman already has some classic production close up in the family, as her half-sister, Dalwah is dam of German Derby (gr. I) winner Dai Jin.
 
On Thursday, Makfi, making only his second start, took the seven furlong Prix Djebel (gr. III) by three lengths. He’s also from a top-class family. His dam is a Green Desert half-sister to Dewhurst Stakes (gr. I) winner Alhaarth, and to the dam of group winner and Epsom Dery third Aqaleem. She is out of Irish Valley (by Irish River out of the great tap-root mare, Green Valley), a half-sister to several stakes winners, including French 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) winner, and successful sire, Green Dancer. Mafki is the second group winner for Dubawi out of a mare by a son of Danzig. Green Desert is a particularly interesting source, as he is a Danzig/Sir Ivor cross, as is Shareef Dancer, the broodmare sire of Dubai Millennium. The pedigree also has the ever more frequently seen combination of the genetic relatives Mill Reef and Riverman.
 
As a footnote, we can also observe that Mill Reef and Riverman come together in the pedigree of Joanne, who took a strong-looking renewal of the Prix Imprudence (gr. III), a Guineas trial for three-year-old fillies, on the same card as the Prix Djebel. Joanne is by the Sadler’s Wells horse, High Chaparral. He made something of a sticky start with his first crop, but came back with all guns blazing in 2009, and now with the colt Noll Wallop and Joanne, already has two classic trial winners from this third crop.
 
Joanna (TrueNicks rated A++) is out of Secrete Marina, a daughter of Mujadil (by Storm Bird out of a Secretariat mare, the same cross as Storm Cat), and her granddam is by Riiverman. This mans that her sire dam are both Northern Dancer/Never Bend crosses, with the Never Bend through the genetic relatives Mill Reef/Riverman. Of course this also gives a double of Never Bend combined with Sadler’s Wells (dam by a half-brother to Never Bend).
 

Filed under: Sires, European Racing