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Sarafina didn’t see a racecourse until May 3, but just six weeks later she is a classic and dual group I-winner. Successful in over a mile at Chantilly on her debut, she returned three weeks later to take the Prix Saint-Alary (gr. I) by ½ length over Deluxe (a Storm Cat half sister to Banks Hill, Heat Haze, Dansili, Intercontinental, Champs Elysees, and Cacique). Although still showing signs of inexperience, Sarafina took her record to three-for-three at the weekend by beating her stable companion Rosanara by 1½ lengths in the Prix de Diane – French Oaks (gr. I). Sarafina is from the second crop of the Sadler’s Wells horse Refuse to Bend. Although not a model of consistency, Refuse to Bend was a very talented performer on his day, winning the National Stakes (gr. I) at two; the 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) at three; and the Eclipse Stakes (gr. I) and Queen Anne Stakes (gr. I) at four. He made a relative quiet start with his first crop, which contained three stakes winners, including Grace O’Malley, who won her second successive renewal of the Noblesse Stakes (gr. III) in Ireland on the same afternoon as Sarafina’s victory. His second crop has produced two classic runners in Sarafina and Neon Light, a German group winner who also took third in the German 1,000 Guineas (gr. II).

Sarafina’s dam, Sanariya, is also dam of Sanaya (by another Sadler’s Wells son, Barathea). She won listed races in the UAE and France, and was runner-up in the Prix Saint-Alary (gr. I). Sanariya is out of the stakes-placed Top Ville mare Sanamia. The third dam, Santalina, is by Relko (like Darshaan and Top Ville, a French Derby winner). She was a black type winner in France, and is half sister to Grand Prix de Paris (gr. I) and Preis von Europe (gr. I) victor Sumayr and stakes winner Samata (granddam of Australia grade I winner Newport, who is by Encosta de Lago – by Fairy King, a brother to Sadler’s Wells – and so is from the same sire and dam line as Sarafina). Sarafina (TrueNicks A++) is another example of the prolific Sadler’s Wells/Darshaan version of the Sadler’s Wells/Shirley Heights cross, which has produced 24 stakes winners from 234 starters for sons of Sadler’s Wells. The nick has been a vital one for Refuse to Bend as it provides three of his five stakes winners, including Sarafina and Grace O’Malley.

Carrying the same Aga Khan colors as the winner, runner-up Rosanara – winner of last year’s Prix Marcel Boussac (gr. I) – looks like she now wants 1½ miles. Rated TrueNicks A++, she is a daughter of Sinndar (an Aga Khan-bred son of Grand Lodge, who won the English Derby (gr. I) and Irish Derby (gr. I) and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (gr. I)), and is out of a mare that His Highness purchased from the estate of the late Jean-Luc Lagardere. This is Rosawa, a daughter of Lagardere’s great sire Linamix. Like many other Lagardere imports from the U.S., the family is a little light, but goes back to a good foundation, as Rosawa’s third dam is Stellarette, a graded stakes-winning daughter of the great tap-root mare Kamar.

On the French Oaks undercard, the Prix du Lys (gr. III) for three-year-old colts was won by Wertheimer et Frere’s Goldwaki, who was taking his fourth successive win, and now heads to the Grand Prix de Paris (gr. I). He is by another Aga Khan-bred, Dalakhani, a French Derby- and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-winning son of Darshaan. The dam, Gold Round, a group-winning daughter of Caerleon, is also dam of listed winner Spectaculaire, and is half sister to current Wertheimer star Goldikova. TrueNicks rated A++, Goldwaki has the genetic relatives Mill Reef and Riverman 4 x 5 at the top and bottom of the pedigree.

A three-year-old with a less familiar pedigree is Sormiou, who took the one mile Prix Paul de Moussac (gr. III). He is by Califet (by Freedom Cry, by Soviet Star, by Nureyev), a two-time group winner at around 1½ miles and fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The dam is by Great Palm (a son of Manila), and both sire and dam are extended Northern Dancer/Grey Sovereign crosses. The one-mile Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord (gr. III) over a mile for older horses went to Fuisse (TrueNicks A++), a son of Green Tune out of a mare by Sillery, and a product of an extended version of the Nijinsky II/Blushing Groom cross.

French classic form was upheld in Germany when Zazou, who was unplaced behind his fellow Shamardal (TrueNicks,SRO) son Lope de Vega in the French 2,000 Guineas (gr. I), took the Oppenheim-Union-Rennen (gr. II), a German Derby trial. He is out of a mare by Lomitas, a grandson of Nijinsky II (so a has the Storm Bird/Nijinsky II combination). The third dam is a sister to juvenile Champion Danzatore, and is a parallel Northern Dancer/Raise a Native cross to Shamardal.

In Italy, Machiavellian’s grade I-winning son Storming Home was represented by his first group I winner when Jakkalberry captured the Gran Premio di Milano (gr. I). He is three-parts-brother to the Italian Derby (gr. I) winner Awelmarduk (by Almutawakel, also a son of Machiavellian), and half brother to Kidnapping (by Intikhab), who took the Gran Premio d’Italia on the Gran Premio di Milano undercard. There is a little bit of a mini-nick appearing with Jakkalberry (TrueNicks A++) and Awelmarduk being joined by Tie Black (by Machiavellian) as group/grade I winners by Machiavellian or sons, out of mares by Barathea. Storming Home is likely to do well with Northern Dancer line mares in general, as he is inbred 2 x 3 to Mr. Prospector with Northern Dancer (through Shareef Dancer) sitting between the inbreeding. Obvious targets would be Green Desert, Alzao, Dancing Brave, Be My Chief, and Grand Lodge, who all (like Barathea) are parallel Northern Dancer/Sir Gaylord crosses to Shareef Dancer, the broodmare sire of Storming Home).

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