Descendants of Darshaan mare Alexandra Bi were to the fore on Betway Summer Cup day. The magic mare’s grandson Atticus Finch (Master Of My Fate) won the Gr1 Betway Summer Cup, while her great granddaughter World Of Alice won the Gr3 Betway Fillies Mile.
A Summer Cup victory for Atticus Finch and Calvin Habib (Pic – JC Photos)
Alexandra Bi also ranks as the third dam of Summer Cup tenth place finisher Main Defender (Pathfork), with the latter a son of Alexandra Bi’s granddaughter Alessia (Judpot).
Atticus Finch’s dam Alexia (Caesour), the granddam of Main Defender, is a full-sister to both Listed Syringa Handicap winner Alexa and to the very high-class Alexandra Rose (Caesour).
The latter, whose daughter Alice Springs (Hussonet) produced World Of Alice (One World), was a graded stakes winner in both South Africa and the USA. Alexandra Rose won South Africa’s Gr2 Golden Slipper before landing the Gr3 Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita.
Alexandra Rose, whose sire Caesour ranks as the broodmare sire of 2011 Summer Cup winner Dancewiththedevil (Modus Vivendi), also did her family proud at stud, producing Gr1 Jaipur Stakes winner Oleksandra (Animal Kingdom) and the latter’s useful full-brother Prince Alexander.
Alexandra Rose was one of eight winners, and six black type horses, produced by Alexandra Bi, with the latter also responsible for Listed Memorial Mile winner and Derby runner-up Pavlovich (Soviet Star) and Listed Sea Cottage Stakes winner Alexandra Palace. The latter was sired by Jet Master, whose son Master Of My Fate is the sire of Atticus Finch.
World Of Alice (Craig Zackey) in thrilling fight to the line with Fiery Pegasus under Oisin Murphy (Pic – JC Photos)
The prolific Alexandra Bi also ranks as the granddam of Gr1 Golden Horseshoe winner Forest Indigo, whose sire Judpot also sired Alessia, dam of the top-class Main Defender.
Alexandra Bi traces back directly in female line to Irish Oaks winner Cinq A Sept (Roi Herode) – whose numerous outstanding descendants include legendary Triple Crown winner Secretariat (Bold Ruler) and dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner and outstanding sire Alleged (Hoist The Flag).
Alexandra Bi’s sire Darshaan was an exceptional broodmare producer, whose daughters have produced 240 stakes winners including English classic winners High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), Milan (Sadler’s Wells) and Pour Moi (Montjeu).
Among the outstanding mares sired by Darshaan were Masskana (dam of 3 Gr1 winners), Hoity Toity (dam of dual Gr1 winner and outstanding broodmare Lillie Langtry), Ebaziya (dam of Gr1 winners Enzeli, Estimate, Ebadiyla and Edabiya), and Alouette (dam of Gr1 winners Alborada and Albanova, third dam of Arc winner Alpinista).
Darshaan is also the sire of star miler Mark Of Esteem, a highly successful broodmare sire. Among the number of top-class performers produced by Mark Of Esteem mares are the Gr1 winners Treasure Beach (Galileo), Triple Time (Frankel), Ajman Princess (Teofilo), Masked Marvel (Montjeu) and Amadeus Wolf (Mozart).
Mark Of Esteem’s daughters include the outstanding broodmare Reem Three, dam of two Gr1 winners and granddam of both Gr1 Commonwealth Cup hero Inisherin (Shamardal), and triple Gr1 winner Rosallion (Blue Point).
Mark Of Esteem is also responsible for top-class South African broodmare Ireland, dam of three black type horses including dual Equus Champion Celtic Sea (Captain Al).
