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In the week following the runaway 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) victory of Frankel – which simultaneously confirmed his brilliance and the extreme improbability of him staying the Derby trip of 1½ miles – there were a number of significant Derby and Oaks trials in Europe. Not surprisingly, the Sadler’s Wells line was a dominant force in these, and the most recent week...
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In the week that saw the passing of the mighty Sadler’s Wells, it was appropriate that his grandson Frankel (TrueNicks A++ ) should produce a dominant performance in the first English classic of the year, the 2,000 Guineas (gr. I, video below). The son of Galileo was equipped with a pacemaker, but set such a rapid pace that he was soon alone in the lead. Around...
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Officially rated the best long distance runner in the world last year was So You Think. He earned a figure of 122 as an extended distance performer on the basis of a third under top-weight in the Melbourne Cup (gr. I). However, he was actually rated 126 as a middle distance runner, a standing earned with five straight victories during the Australian 2010-2011...
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Following his sensational trial in the seven-furlong Greenham Stakes (gr. III, click for video ) on April 16, last season's European champion 2-year-old Frankel looks ready for Saturday's English 2,000 Guineas (gr. I). The son of Galileo – who has taken over from his sire Sadler’s Wells as Europe’s leading classic sire – is from a stout family. His dam is a half...
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The sterling efforts of Pivotal, and of Sadler’s Wells sons Galileo and Montjeu – who come to the fore as the distance increase – not withstanding, European racing often appears to be dominated by the Danzig line, particularly via Danehill and Green Desert. Those two branches were particuarly in evidence in the last week, through Dansili – who is vying with Danehill...
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The first European group event of the season, the Prix Exbury (gr. III), went to Chinchon, who carries the colors of Darpat SL (keen pedigree student Dario Hinojosa), and is a Pedigree Consultants recommended mating. By Marju (by Last Tycoon), Chinchon has the brother and sister Try My Best and Northern Prancer at the top and bottom of his pedigree. Coincidentally...
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March 18 might as well have gone down as Kingmambo ( TrueNicks , SRO ) day in France, as his sire ons dominated the stakes events at Deauville. The 6½ furlong Prix Montenica, for three-year-old colts and geldings, went to Too Nice Name, a son of Kingsalsa. A group III winning miler, Kingsalsa also finished second in the Prix de la Salamandre (gr. I) and third...
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We have to wonder if there has been a more prolific family in the last couple of years than that of the Verbatim mare, Right Word, the dam of three stakes winners: the graded scorer Ascutney and Words of War (both by Lord At War) and Word o’ Ransom (by Red Ransom). Ascutney is dam of two graded winners, headed by Raven’s Pass, winner of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup...
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Giant's Causeway ( TrueNicks , SRO ) celebrated his first Leading Sire crown in appropriate fashion, notching up his twenty-third stakes winner of the year when Tiger’s Rock captured the Gallant Fox Handicap at Aqueduct on December 31. This was the first stakes win for the three-year-old, who is out of the Afleet mare, Call Me Fleet (TrueNicks rated A ). What...
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Sea the Stars has rightfully dominated the headlines from Europe but the other story of the weekend was the remarkable performance of horses bred and owned by the Aga Khan. We'll start with the 2½ mile Prix du Cadran (gr. I), which went to Alandi (TrueNicks A ), who is by Galileo out of the stakes winning Darshaan mare, Aliya, and is one of no less than five...
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Scarcely a weekend goes by without sons of Danehill striking all over the world -- they had stakes winners in Europe, the U.S., and Australia over the latest weekend -- but they don't often match the achievement of Danehill Dancer (IRE), who had the first three home in the Camas Park and Ashtown House Studs Phoenix Stakes (Ire-I), a six-furlong event for 2-year...
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It might have taken a while for Sadler's Wells to hit his stride as a sire of sires, but he's been making up for lost time at a tremendous rate -- as evidenced this weekend when his line dominated group and grade I racing. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-I) resulted in a one-two for the offspring of his sons as Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I) runner-up Fame...
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First it was the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I), where the first and second -- Sea the Stars (IRE) and Fame and Glory (GB) -- both came from German female lines. Then Le Havre (IRE) , out of a German-bred mare, took the Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-I). This weekend it was the turn of Stacelita (FR) , who maintained her undefeated record with a four-length win in the...
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The 2009 running of the Oaks d'Italia (Ity-II) went to the Peintre Celebre filly Night of Magic (IRE) . Night of Magic is out of a mare by Platini (GER) (by the great German sire Surumu (GER)) and from a German family that goes back to Catnip (IRE), the granddam of Nearco (ITY). Rated A++ by TrueNicks, Night of Magic has more recent classic connections: her dam...
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Already established as Danehill's most prolific stallion son, Danehill Dancer (IRE) advanced his reputation still further at the weekend with an Irish Guineas classic double. On Saturday, last year's top 2-year-old in Europe, Mastercraftsman (IRE) , captured the Boylesports.com Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I). Rated B+ by TrueNicks, Mastercraftsman is out...
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Last weekend saw the first two French classics of the season - the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (both Fr-I) -- in the books. The result was a great one for the Irish National Stud with the filly's event going to Elusive Wave, from the second crop of Elusive City, and the colt's classic falling to Silver Frost (IRE), a son of Verglas...
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In England this past weekend Sea The Stars (IRE) captured the Stanjames.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) at Newmarket, adding another chapter in the remarkable story of the late Urban Sea. The 1993 CIGA Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) heroine, a daughter of Miswaki, has been represented by eight starters, and all eight of them are stakes horses, with six group...
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Prix Noailles The first major French Derby prep of the year, the Prix Noailles (Fr-II) was won by the French-foaled but decidedly German-pedigreed Grandcamp (FR) (by Platini (GER) out of a mare by a son of Super Concorde ), who is rated A++ by TrueNicks. Platini is a son of the great sire Surumu (GER) , from the male line of Dark Ronald that has prospered primarily...
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Now firmly-established as the heir to Sadlers Wells, Galileo (IRE) had a transatlantic double at the weekend. In Ireland, Oh Goodness Me (GB) (out of Coyote (GB) by Indian Ridge (IRE)) flashed her classic credentials in the Lodge Park Stud E.B.F. Park Express Stakes (Ire-III). On the same afternoon, 4-year-old Dress Rehearsal (IRE) (out of Sassenach (IRE) by...
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England's Kentucky Derby Challenge, a nine-furlong test on the all-weather track at Kempton Park that guaranteed the winner a place in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), was run on Wednesday night. In a frantic finish, the winner was Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Mafaaz (GB), who held to by a neck from the fast-finishing Spring of Fame...
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