Drakenstein Stud Farm’s new sire, Kingsbarns
It was recently announced that former Gr1 Racing Post Trophy winner, Kingsbarns, will join the burgeoning South African stallion band. The horse, who recently spent his first season at stud in Ireland, is set to stand at Drakenstein Stud Farm.
Certainly Kingsbarns lacks nothing in pedigree. One of more than 40 individual Gr1 winners sired by the world’s greatest stallion, Galileo, Kingsbarns shares his sire with the Gr1 producing sires New Approach, Rip Van Winkle (a brother in blood to Kingsbarns) and Teofilo.
Galileo’s legacy looks set to continue further through the likes of promising first crop sire son, Roderic O’Connor (Fourth Leading First Crop Sire in GB/Ireland for 2015), as well as such outstanding performers as Australia, Nathaniel, Ruler Of The World and the undefeated legend, Frankel. The son of Sadler’s Wells is also emerging as a superb broodmare sire, with his daughters already having produced such top class performers as 2015 Investec Oaks winner Qualify (Fastnet Rock) and 2014 2000 Guineas winner, Night Of Thunder (Dubawi), to name but two.
The X-factor
Kingsbarns, however, sports more than a powerful male line. He is a direct descendant of former champion Mesopotamia, whose descendants have prevailed in many of the world’s greatest races. Herself a daughter of two Irish classic winners (sire Zarathustra won both the Irish Derby and Irish St Leger, while dam Agars Plough won the 1955 Irish Oaks), Mesopotamia lived up to her classic pedigree on both the track and at stud. Major races won by her descendants range from the Haydock Sprint Cup (1200m) to the Prix Du Cadran (4000m), while Mesopotamia’s numerous top class descendants have won Gr1 contests from Dubai and Japan to South Africa.
Winner of both the now Group 2 Railway Stakes (a race won by such champions as El Gran Senor, George Washington, Nijinsky II, and Rock Of Gibraltar) and Chesham Stakes at two, Mesopotamia ran third to Royal Danseuse in the 1964 Irish 1000 Guineas.
Mesopotamia’s stud legacy
Retired to stud following her three year old career, Mesopotamia’s first registered foal was the useful five time winner Belitis (Tudor Melody). While the latter’s own foals failed to win anything significant, Belitis is the second dam of the top class 2yo Balla Cove (Ballad Rock), winner of the 1989 Gr1 Middle Park Stakes. In total Belitis is the ancestress of no fewer than 18 individual black type winners.
Mesopotamia’s second registered foal was her 1967 filly, Garden Of Eden (by Arc de Triomphe winner Exbury). While Garden Of Eden failed to win a race in seven outings, she more than made amends for her racetrack failures by becoming an important broodmare. Her best son was Gr1 Sunset Handicap winner Galaxy Libra (Wolver Hollow), but it was her daughter, Welsh Garden, who ensured that Garden of Eden remains a potent factor in modern day pedigrees. Herself Ireland’s Champion 2YO Filly of 1975, Welsh Garden’s runners included the high class stayer, Molesnes (Alleged), winner of the Gr1 Prix Du Cadran. She is also the dam of Celtic Assembly – a stakes placed daughter of Secretariat who produced subsequent Gr1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup winner Cherokee Rose (Dancing Brave) and eight times New Zealand Champion sire Volksraad. Cherokee Rose, in turn, produced Gr3 winner, Bowman, (Irish River) and Moyesii (Diesis) – dam of St Leger winner Mastery and Gran Criterium winner Kirklees. Moyesii, a truly outstanding broodmare, is also the granddam of a top class performer, and popular young British sire in Mukhadram (Shamardal). The latter, who earned just a shade under £2 million pounds, won the Gr1 Eclipse Stakes and was second in the Gr1 Dubai World Cup.
Celtic Assembly is also the third dam of the top class South African performer Noordhoek Flyer (Pivotal), winner of both the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr2 KRA Guineas and now a promising young sire.
Guest Night
Mesopotamia’s next important daughter was her 1970 filly foal by Sir Ivor – Guest Night. A useful performer who ran third in the Gr3 Fred Darling Stakes, Guest Night is the ancestress of a number of group/graded winners including former Gr1 Irish Guineas winner Just The Judge (Lawman) and former Gr1 Oaks third High Heeled (High Chaparral). She is also the second dam of the intriguingly inbred Gr2 Royal Whip Stakes winner Chancellor (Halling), who is inbred to Mesopotamia through her daughters Camogie and Guest Night.
Halling
Camogie, Mesopotamia’s unraced Celtic Ash daughter, is the fourth dam of the mighty Halling, arguably the most talented of all Mesopotamia’s descendants. A five time Group 1 winner, who won both the Gr1 Eclipse Stakes and Gr1 Juddmonte International twice, Halling has since become a highly successful stallion with his high class winners including this year’s Irish Derby winner Jack Hobbs.
House Tie
However, arguably the most successful of all Mesopotamia’s daughters was the one time winner House Tie (by Peter O’Sullvean’s top sprinter Be Friendly). This remarkable mare is the ancestress of outstanding flat horses and hurdlers alike, with her descendants including Dubai World Cup winners and Breeders Cup horses alike. She is the granddam of Gr1 winner Danish, herself in turn the dam of multiple Gr1 winner and Dubai World Cup hero African Story.
Danish (Danehill) is herself an own sister to the talented Ballydoyle runner, Ace, who finished second to Shirocco (Monsun) in the 2005 Breeders Cup Turf, and former Gr3 Desmond Stakes winner, Hawkeye. House Tie is also the fourth dam of triple G1 winner Rip Van Winkle, whose victories included scores in the 2009 Gr1 Sussex and QEII Stakes, as well as the following year’s Juddmonte International. Subsequently retired to stud, Rip Van Winkle made a tremendous start with his first Northern Hemisphere runners including Gr1 Phoenix Stakes hero Dick Whittington and his first SH performers the high class Gr3 winner Magic Dancer.
House Tie’s granddaughter, Beltisaal, has proven a far better producer than racemare. She is not only responsible for Kingsbarns, but also his Rock Of Gibraltar sired half sister Sweeter Still, winner of the Gr3 Senorita Stakes.
Affinities
Clearly, both Galileo (Kingsbarns, Rip Van Winkle), as well as Diesis (Halling, Moyesii) and Pivotal (African Story, Noordhoek Flyer), and Danzig line horses (Ace, Danish, Hawkeye, Just The Judge, Volksraad) in general have worked well with this family, whose success shows no sign of abating.
