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The day after Workforce scored a runaway win in the Epsom Derby (gr. I), the French 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) victor, Lope de Vega, was almost equally impressive in recording an easy triumph in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) (gr. I). In taking both classics, Lope de Vega emulated his sire, the impressive second crop sire, Shamardal (TrueNicks,SRO). A son of Giant’s Causeway out of a sister to Street Cry (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO) – making this a nascent stallion family – Shamardal is worth a quick review given his rather spectacular start in both hemispheres.

Lope de Vega has an intriguing pedigree: he is out of a mare by Vettori, another French 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) winner, and a son of Lope de Vega’s broodmare sire, Machiavellian, meaning Lope de Vega is inbred 3 x 3 to that horse. Machiavellian is out of a mare by Halo (also here in Sharmardal, through Rahy) and the pedigree also features that horse’s genetic relative, Sir Ivor. We can also note that Shamardal and Vettori combine Machiavellian with the genetic relatives Storm Bird and Nijinsky II. For good measure, Vettori goes back to Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Quill, a three-quarters relative to Prince John, who is in the pedigree of Shamardal through Riverman.

Nijinsky II is also a key feature in the pedigree of Shamardal’s group-winning and group I-placed son Zazou, who is out of a mare by Lomitas (a German-bred son of Niniski). His second dam is by Shirley Heights (giving genetic relatives Riverman and Mill Reef), and third dam Nadia Nerina is a sister to Champion Irish Two-Year-Old Danzatore, and a parallel Northern Dancer/Raise a Native.

Shamardal’s son Shakespearean, winner of the Solario Stakes (gr. III) last year, is out of a mare by Priolo, a son of Sovereign Dancer. We’ve mentioned that we rather like Storm Cat – the grandsire of Shamardal – with Sovereign Dancer, because both are similar Northern Dancer/Bold Ruler crosses. Giant's Causeway (TrueNicks,SRO) has also sired a stakes winner out of a Priolo mare, and Storm Cat and Sovereign Path appear together in at least ten Storm Cat line stakes winners. This is another that also connects with the Riverman influence, that horse appearing 5 x 5.

Another out of a Northern Dancer line mare is Shamardal’s son Arctic, successful in the Round Tower Stakes (gr. III). He is out of a mare by Shareef Dancer, who is a Northern Dancer/Sir Ivor (by Sir Gaylord) cross. This connects with both Storm Cat (Northern Dancer/Secretariat, a half brother to Sir Gaylord), and with the double of Halo, Sir Ivor working very well with that horse, both of them having Turn-to/Pharamond II/Mahmoud close up in their pedigrees.

Siyaadah, winner of the UAE 1,000 Guineas is out of a mare by Lahib, a son of Riverman, and so has that horse 5 x 3. With Riverman, or other Prince John sources in three of his five European group winners, one has to wonder if the connection between Prince John and Halo (twice in Giant’s Causeway) is proving to be effective.

Not yet a stakes winner, although he is twice group-placed, we can’t resist mentioning Noble Alpha. He is out of a mare by Singspiel, a half brother to Rahy, the broodmare sire of Giant’s Causeway, and so is inbred 5 x 3 to Glorious Song. This is also another with the Riverman/Mill Reef connection.

Shamardal has also made an excellent start with his first Australian crop. His star there is Faint Perfume, heroine of the VRC Oaks (gr. I) and Storm Queen Stakes (gr. I). She is out of a mare by Zabeel, a son of Sir Tristram by Sir Ivor, so again giving a double of Halo with his genetic relative Sir Ivor. The second dam is by Danehill, and the third by Storm Bird, who is 4 x 4 here.

Australian stakes winner Shamoline Warrior is out of a mare by Dehere, a parallel Northern Dancer/Secretariat cross to Storm Cat. There are five stakes winners from 50 starters by sons of Storm Cat out of mares by Dehere. His second dam is by Dalmacia, another son of Sir Tristram, bringing in Sir Ivor again. The one Shamardal stakes winner with a somewhat different pedigree is Marquardt, who is out of a mare by Centaine, by Century, from the Better Boy branch of the My Babu line. If Shamardal is throwing to Riverman, we can reflect that My Babu is a genetic relative to Riverman’s sire, Never Bend, and Century is a reverse Djebel/Nasrullah cross to Never Bend.

On the French Derby undercard, the Prix de Sandringham (gr. II) was won by the French Oaks (gr. I) third Joanna, a daughter of High Chaparral and the Mujadil (by Storm Cat out of a Secretariat mare) mare Secrete Marina. Joanna’s second dam is by Riverman, and since High Chaparral is out of a mare by Darshaan, she has Riverman/Mill Reef 5 x 3, and sire and dam are parallel Northern Dancer/Never Bend crosses. There are also three Nasrullah/Princequillo crosses close up here.

Four-year-old Planet Five, by Storm Cat out of Six Perfections (by Celtic Swing, by Damister, a son of Mr. Prospector), earned a stallion-career-making group win in the Prix du Gros-Chene (gr. II) over five furlongs. The dam won the Prix Marcel Boussac (gr. I) at two, and Prix Jacques Le Marois (gr. I) and Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. I) at three, and is bred on similar lines to Kingmambo (both from the Mr. Prospector line out of daughters of the mare Pasadoble). In the Grand Prix de Chantilly (gr. II), the improving five-year-old Allied Powers scored with a good finishing burst. He clearly stays 1 ½ miles without a problem, despite being by Green Desert’s sprinting son Invincible Spirit. He would have inherited plenty of stamina from his dam, Always Friendly, a daughter of the long-distance specialist High Line, who herself won the Princess Royal Stakes (gr. III) and was runner-up in the Prix Royal Oak (gr. I) at two miles.

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