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The third of a triumvirate of young classic-winning sons of Sadler’s Wells – following Montjeu and Galileo – High Chaparral was a little slow to get underway in his stud career, but has made considerable progress in the last two seasons. This was underlined by a stellar international weekend that saw him represented by three graded stakes winners, two of them grade I.

In Canada, his son Redwood became High Chaparral’s first Northern Hemisphere grade I winner with a victory in the Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup Turf Stakes (gr. I). From High Chaparral’s second crop, Redwood (TrueNicks A) is out of the Woodman mare Arum Lily, and is the third stakes swinner from 30 starters sired by High Chaparral out of mares by Mr. Prospector, his sons, and his grandsons. The granddam is Dancing Brave’s French Oaks (gr. I) winning sister Jolypha, a product of the same Northern Dancer/Turn-to cross as High Chaparral’s sire, Sadler’s Wells.

In addition to four-year-old Redwood, High Chaparral also has three black type-winning three-year-olds in Europe this term. Joanna (TrueNicks A) is one of Europe’s best three-year-old fillies at around a mile, winning three 2010 group events, taking second in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (gr. I), and third in the French 1,000 Guineas (gr. I). She is out of a mare by Mujadil (by Storm Bird), with a second dam by Riverman. This means her dam is bred on a similar cross to both Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer out of a mare by Bold Reason, a half brother to Never Bend, the sire of Riverman), and to High Chaparral himself (a Northern Dancer/Never Bend cross, with the Never Bend through Riverman’s genetic relative, Mill Reef). French three-year-old listed winner Le Larron (TrueNicks A++) is out of a mare by Kenmare, with a second dam by Riverman’s son, Irish River. This is a very similar cross to Highest Honor, and High Chaparral also has a stakes winner out of a mare by that horse. The other High Chaparral three-year-old stakes winner of 2010 is the 2,000 Guineas Trial (gr. III) scorer Noll Wallop (TrueNicks A++), who is one two stakes winners by the sire out of mares by Danehill, who is becoming quite a foil for Sadler’s Wells line stallions.

High Chaparral’s current three-year-old crop also includes some other notables. Lady Lupus (TrueNicks A) was a stakes winner last year, and took third in this year’s Irish Oaks (gr. I). She is out of a mare by Rainbow Quest (10% stakes winners to starters under Sadler’s Wells and sons), and her second dam is the brilliant Sonic Lady, which means she has Sadler’s Wells and his three-parts-brother Nureyev (sire of Sonic Lady) 2 x 3. Another with Sadler’s Wells/Nureyev 2 x 3 is Wigmore Hall who recently took second in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. I). He is out of a Theatrical mare and is TrueNicks rated A. Also a group I performer is High Chaparral’s daughter Lady Darshaan (out of a mare by Green Desert), who ran second in last year’s Fillies’ Mile (gr. I).

In Australia, where High Chaparral was the Leading Second Season Sire of 2009-2010, his status was further boosted this weekend when last year’s Cox Plate (gr. I) hero, So You Think, won the MRC Underwood Stakes (gr. I) and Descarado captured the STC Hill Stakes (gr. II). So You Think (TrueNicks A+) is out of a mare by Tights, who is a product of the same Nijinsky II/Round Table cross as Caerleon, the grandsire of the dam of High Chaparral’s Europe classic filly Unsung Heroine. Descardo (TrueNicks B+) is out of a mare by Lord Ballina, who is from the Bletchingly branch of the Star Kingdom line.

In addition to So You Think, High Chaparral’s first Northern Hemisphere crop has also supplied the multiple grade I winners Shoot Out and Monaco Consul. Shoot Out (TrueNicks A) is out of a mare by Pentire. He is Northern Dancer/Mill Reef (Never Bend cross), so again bred on a similar cross to both Sadler’s Wells and High Chaparral himself. Monaco Consul (TrueNicks A+) is more of an outcross, as his dam is by Star Way (by Star Appeal, from the Herbager line), a horse who has been very successful under Sadler’s Wells line stallions.

Filed under: Recent Winners, Sires