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We must admit, we thought that bringing North Light (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO) to the U.S. to stand would probably be the death knell to his stud career. The son of Danehill won the Epsom Derby (gr. I) at 1½ miles, and was out of a mare who stayed 2½ miles. Not a horse to appeal to U.S. commercial breeders, or even many owner/breeders, and not quite exciting enough to tempt Europeans to send mares, he looked to be in some kind of no man's land.

However, our crystal ball was obviously not crystal clear this time, as North Light is now a first crop classic sire. His son Arctic Cosmos became the third stakes winner for the sire with a victory in the final leg of the English Triple Crown, the St. Leger (gr. I). The pedigree is a little unorthodox to say the least: the dam, Fifth Avenue Doll, is a Marquetry daughter who won ten races, but all in claiming company, and most in sprints; Arctic Cosmos is her first foal. The second dam, Allego, is a winning daughter of Alleged, and is a half sister to the Sheepshead Bay Handicap (gr. II) victress Castle Royale.

Bred on far more predictable lines is the St. Leger runner-up Midas Touch, who is by Galileo out of Approach by Darshaan. A variation on the theme also produced Saturday’s Irish St. Leger (gr. I) victor, Sans Frontieres, who is by Galileo out of Llia, a daughter of Darshaan’s sire, Shirley Heights. Ironically, the runner-up, Profound Beauty, is a daughter of Danehill, so sire lines were reversed from the St. Leger.

Talking of Galileo, he was represented by his first stakes winner as a broodmare sire when Saamidd, by Street Cry (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO), beat out the Oasis Dream duo Approve and Waiter’s Dream in the Champagne Stakes (gr. II). The dam, Aryaamm, is a half sister to a group-placed miler by Street Cry’s sire, Machiavellian. The second dam is a stakes-placed Rainbow Quest half sister to Barathea, a Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. I) winner by Galileo’s sire, Sadler’s Wells, and Barathea’s Irish 1,000 Guineas (gr. I)-winning sister, Gossamer (herself dam of group I winner Ibn Khaldun, by Dubai Destination, a Mr. Prospector line sire, as is Street Cry).

Galileo’s sire, Sadler’s Wells, was also broodmare sire of a European weekend two-year-old group I winner. A few years ago, we noted that if Distorted Humor (TrueNicks,SRO) was bred to Sadler’s Wells mares and the offspring sent to Europe, he could become an international sire. Well, on Saturday, Pathfork, a son of Distorted Humor out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, narrowly captured the National Stakes (gr. I) from Casamento (from the second crop of Shamardal (TrueNicks,SRO)) and Zoffany (a son of Dansili, and already a group I winner himself). The dam, Visions of Clarity, is a French listed winner, who is a half sister (actually more like seven-eighths related) to the brilliant miler Spinning World. The granddam, Riverman’s daughter Imperfect Circle, was a listed winner and runner-up in the Cheveley Park Stakes (gr. I). She is out of the Phoenix Stakes (gr. I) winner Aviance, dam of juvenile Champion Chimes of Freedom (dam of Aldebaran), and four-time grade I winner Denon. The fifth dam is blue hen Best in Show. There is a lot of speed here, but there is a good chance that Pathfork will get the 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) mile. By the way, if you are interested in why we liked Sadler’s Wells with Distorted Humor, compare the pedigree of Distorted Humor’s dam, Danzig’s Beauty with Sadler’s Wells (Pathfork’s dam is a reverse of that cross too).

Still with European two-year-olds, Dynaformer (TrueNicks,SRO) – who shows no sign of deteriorating with age – has a very nice one in White Moonstone, who took the May Hill Stakes (gr. II) at Doncaster. She is out of the stakes-winning Seeking the Gold mare, Desert Gold (Dynaformer now has four stakes winners from only 18 starters out of Seeking the Gold mares). The granddam, Desert Stormette (by Storm Cat), is a sister to Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) heroine Desert Stormer, herself dam of graded winner Sahara Gold, by Seeking the Gold.