Home

Royal Ascot occupied most of our attention last week, but we wanted to note a few interesting pedigrees from last week before they get too distant in time.

In Australia, the Stradbroke Handicap (gr. I, video below) saw Sincero (TrueNicks A++) become one of the few 3-year-olds in that country this season to defeat his elders in a major race this year. Sincero is by the Miswaki horse Umatilla, out of mare by Prego (by Be My Guest), and the sire/broodmare sire cross now has two graded stakes winners from three starters. Sincero’s fourth dam, Reckless Driver, is a sister to major tap-root mare Best in Show, a fact that takes on more significance when we note that Best in Show is the third dam of Umatilla. In fact, since Umatilla’s dam, Dancing Show, is by Nijinsky II, she and the dam of Sincero are from the same male line (Northern Dancer) and female line as the dam of Sincero.

Lonhro (AUS) (TrueNicks)’s daughter Beaded was runner-up in the Stradbroke, but Lonhro added another group I winner in Benfica, who continued Darley’s utter domination of the Australian juvenile contests with a win in the T. J. Smith Stakes (gr. I). Benfica underlines Lonhro’s growing importance as a cross for Danehill mares, as he is the fourth stakes winner from 33 starters on the direct cross. Lonhro already has some sons at stud, so he may be the channel that further extends the Sir Tristram/Sir Ivor line.

Sir Tristram was also a factor in a couple other major winners in Australia. Shootoff, who won the Queensland Derby (gr. I), is by Duelled, a son of Redoute's Choice (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO) (out of a half sister to the previously mentioned Umatilla). Shootoff’s dam is by Zabeel, the leading sire son of Sir Tristarm, and Sir Tristram is also sire of the third dam of Shootoff, so appears 3x3x4 here. Sir Tristram’s sire, Sir Ivor, is 6x4x4x5, with both the granddam of Redoute’s Choice, and the granddam of Shootoff being Nijinsky II/Sir Ivor crosses.

Another young Sir Tristram line stallion making progress is Savabeel (AUS) (TrueNicks), whose son Tullamore (TrueNicks A++) took the Brisbane Cup (gr. II). New Zealand-based Savabeel now has nine stakes winners in his first three crops, four of them graded. Like Benfica, Tullamore is a Sir Tristram/Danehill cross, and he also has Sir Ivor/Northern Dancer cross through Savaebeel’s sire, Zabeel, and Flying Spur (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO)’s granddam, Grand Luxe.

The outstanding middle-distance horse, Daylami (by Doyoun, Mill Reef line) hasn’t lived up to the highest expectations at stud, although he did get Irish Derby (gr. I) winner Grey Swallow in his first crop. However he had a good winner in Italy at the weekend, when Voila Ice (TrueNicks A++) won the Gran Premio di Milano (gr. I). The dam is by Sadler’s Wells’ son Barathea, so this is yet another example of the Mill Reef/Sadler’s Wells connection.

The week was also a good one for some young stallions in Europe. Cacique (by Danehill), a brother to the very successful Dansili (and from the family of Leroidesanimaux) was represented by his first stakes winner from his first crop when 3-year-old Mutual Trust (TrueNicks A++) won the Prix Paul de Moussac (gr. III). He’s out of a mare by Lear Fan, a broodmare sire that has done well under Danehill, and here gives a double of Roberto.

Second year sires Hurricane Run (by Montjeu) and Shirocco (by Monsun) had the first and second in the Prix du Lys (gr. III) in France, with Kreem (TrueNicks B) having a nose to spare over Ibicenco, both being out of mares by Rainbow Quest. Hurricane Run also had the Derby du Languedoc winner Arizona Run (TrueNicks B+) later in the week. He’s out of a Spinning World mare, and has Sadler’s Wells/Nureyev 3x3. Hurricane Run now has four first crop stakes winners, three group, and a total of nine stakes horses.

Shirocco did add to his tally later in the week with Arrigo (TrueNicks A), who took the Oppenheim-Union-Rennen (gr. II), a trial for the German Derby. A half brother to German Derby winner Adlerflug (by In the Wings), Arrigo is out of Aiyana (a daughter of Last Tycoon). The granddam, Alya, is a sister to German St. Leger (gr. II) winner Anno, and to the famed mare Allegretta, from whom descends Urban Sea, Sea The Stars, Galileo, King’s Best, and Tamayuz. In addition to getting three first crop stakes winners to date – two group – Shirocco has another German Derby candidate in Brown Panther, who is not yet a stakes winner but has won four of five starts, including the prestigious King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot this week.

There doesn’t appear to be any escaping Best in Show line stallions this week, having mentioned Umatilla and Redoute’s Choice, we now come to Modus Vivendi (by Zafonic out of Monroe by Sir Ivor), a brother to Xaar, who was represented by Dancewiththedevil, a 4-year-old filly who took the Rising Sun Gold Challenge (gr. I) at Clairwood in South Africa. She’s out of a mare by Caesour, a son of Nureyev.

Filed under: Recent Winners, European Racing, New Zealand, Australia

comments powered by Disqus