Deceased champion sire, Danehill, succeeded in every aspect as a stallion, as few other sires have in recent memory, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
An outstanding sire and sire of sires, the son of Danzig was Champion Broodmare Sire in both GB/Ireland and North America.
Danehill
Danehill’s daughters have produced more than 190 stakes winners in the Northern Hemisphere alone, with this tally headed by top class sires Frankel, Siyouni, Teofilo and the very exciting Intello – like Teofilo and Frankel, sired by Galileo.
The increasingly successful South African sire, Ideal World, (bred on the reverse cross to Duke Of Marmalade) is another out of a Danehill daughter. Other outstanding performers out of Danehill mares include Arc winner, Danedream, seven time Gr1 winner, Highland Reel, Hong Kong champion, Vengeance Of Rain, Golden Slipper winner, Vancouver, and Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Roderic O’Connor.
Now Danehill’s top sire sons are making their presence felt as broodmare sires, suggesting that Danehill’s already most formidable legacy will continue even further down the years.
Redoute’s Choice
Triple Australian Champion Sire, and a sire whose stock have a superb record in South Africa, Redoute’s Choice is also fast building a record as a top flight broodmare sire.
Redoute’s Choice
He ended as Australia’s second Leading Broodmare Sire, by stakes, in 2017-2018, when Redoute’s Choice mares were responsible for such major winners as Ace High (Victoria Derby, Spring Champion Stakes), Levendi (Australian Derby), D’Argento (Rosehill Guineas) and Kementari (Randwick Guineas).
Redoute’s Choice mares have bred ten Gr1 winners, including current boom Australian sire, Zoustar. Mares by Redoute’s Choice have bred major winners by sires from differing sire lines such as Northern Meteor, O’Reilly, So You Think and Street Cry.
Dansili
A former champion sire in France (and full brother to the champion dam of Ideal World), Dansili’s daughters have produced nearly 40 stakes winners in the Northern Hemisphere alone, including 2018 Jersey Stakes winner Expert Eye, Gr2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Magic Wand and an impressive 12 other stakes winners.
The impeccably bred Dansili (he is an own brother to four Gr1 winners) is damsire of five Gr1 winners to date, including Chicquita (Irish Oaks), Capla Temptress (Natalma Stakes), Nezwaah (Pretty Polly Stakes), Astaire (Middle Park Stakes) and Ice Breeze (Prix Royal-Oak). With a number of top class daughters yet to be represented on the track, the now pensioned Dansili looks on course for greater broodmare success over the years to come.
Danehill Dancer
Danehill Dancer, whose sire sons continue to make their mark in major races across the globe, has built up a commendable record as a broodmare sire, with his best results coming when his daughters are mated to Galileo.
Danehill Dancer
All the Gr1 winners out of Danehill Dancer mares, with the exception of Doomben, 10 000 hero Music Magnate, and Argentinian top flight winner, Victor Security, have been sired by Galileo. That tally includes Horse Of The Year, Minding, French 2000 Guineas hero, The Gurkha and triple Gr1 winner, Alice Springs. Another notable performer sired by Galileo out of a Danehill Dancer mare is Gr3 Acomb Stakes hero, Recorder, who covered more mares (152) than any other first crop sire in France this year.
Flying Spur
If the deceased Golden Slipper winning, Flying Spur, had been broodmare sire of nothing but Golden Slipper winning champion and high class sire, Sebring, he would still have left his mark as a maternal grandsire. However, Flying Spur broodmares have proved consistently successful, with Sebring joining the likes of Preferment, Grand Journey, former South African champ, Delago Deluxe, Headway, Speak Fondly and Shillelagh as a major GR1 winner produced by a Flying Spur mare.
Exceed And Excel
Former Australian champion sire, Exceed And Excel, is the sire of an exceptional broodmare daughter in the form of Essaouira, dam of both Alizee (Flight Stakes, Queen of The Turf Stakes) and Darley sire Astern (Golden Rose Stakes). The sire of more than 100 stakes winners himself, Exceed And Excel is also damsire of high class siblings, Bounding (Lonhro) and impressive recent Futurity Stakes winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo). The latter is currently among the early fancies for the 2019 2000 Guineas and Investec Derby.
Rock Of Gibraltar
One of Danehill’s greatest sons on the racetrack and sire of more than 100 stakes winners thus far, Rock Of Gibraltar is damsire of just two Gr1 winners to date (Mikki Isle and Photo Call), a slightly disappointing statistic given the quality of mare the former Horse Of The Year covered early on.
However, ‘The Rock’ is also to be found as maternal grandsire of Coolmore Stud Australia’s popular young Gr2 Schillaci Stakes winning sire, Rubick, whose first yearlings made up to A$470 000 last season.
Holy Roman Emperor
A dual Gr1 winner at two, and closely related to Flying Spur, Holy Roman Emperor is a relatively young broodmare sire but his daughters have already produced the Gr1 winners, Johannes Vermeer (Criterium International) and Verbal Dexterity (National Stakes), as well as 2018 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) victor Wait Forever (Camelot).
Duke Of Marmalade & Oratorio
The well performed and South African based, Danehill sired pair of Duke Of Marmalade and Oratorio are also starting to enjoy success as broodmare sires.
Duke Of Marmalade has already had a pair of group winners in 2018 to his credit (including the unbeaten potential English classic contender, Antonia De Vega), while high class performers produced by triple Gr1 winner, Oratorio, include Dee Stakes winner, Viren’s Army, 2yo stakes winner, Servalan (No Nay Never), Gr3 Athasi Stakes heroine, Dolce Strega (Zoffany) and Gr3 Kindergarten Stakes winner, Paquirri (I Am Invincible).
Oratorio
To date, Oratorio, who is also damsire of Godolphin’s Stealth Fighter (Kodiac) who made a winning debut on Saturday, has featured as a broodmare sire of stakes winners in all of Australia, Italy, Indian, Britain, and Ireland.
Other Danehill sires represented by at least one major Gr1 winner as a broodmare sire include Mozart (damsire of Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Magician), Restructure (his daughter Champers produced SA Horse Of The Year Legislate), Catbird (damsire of champion Entisaar), Lion Hunter (broodmare sire of multiple Gr1 winner, Chautauqua and Gr1 winning young sire, Star Witness), Tiger Hill (daughter Anatola bred Melbourne Cup hero, Almandin), and Danewin (damsire of Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner).
