Danehill line stallions were the toast of Turffontein on Saturday afternoon, with Danehill’s late son Duke Of Marmalade sire of Saturday’s Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks winner Rain In Holland and Danehill’s grandson Rafeef coming up with Saturday’s Gr1 World Sports Betting SA Derby winner Aragosta.
Rain In Holland, who claimed victory in the 2022 Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara with her win on Saturday, is one of 48 stakes winner for her five time Gr1 winning sire Duke Of Marmalade.
The deceased Duke Of Marmalade
The latter, whose Gr1 Investec Derby winning half-brother Ruler Of The World (Galileo) sired Breeders’ Cup winning filly Iridessa, has left behind seven Gr1 winners -of which five are female.
The blue blooded Duke Of Marmalade, whose close relatives A.P. Indy and Lemon Drop Kid have both become outstanding broodmare sires, is also showing signs of becoming a highly successful broodmare sire.
Among others, Duke Of Marmalade is already broodmare sire of an Italian classic winner in Keep On Fly as well as group winners Antonius De Vega, Chilean, Free Wind and Irish Derby runner up Lone Eagle.
Interestingly, Rain In Holland is not the only South African Triple Tiara with Danehill close up in her pedigree, with Danehill’s Gr2 winning son Requiem sire of last season’s Triple Tiara victress War Of Athena (Act Of War).
Rafeef
Aragosta was one of two graded stakes winners for his hot young sire on Saturday, with Rafeef also sire of Saturday’s Gr3 World Sports Betting Man O’War Sprint winner Master Archie.
Rafeef is also sire of the progressive Cleaver Greene, who ran second in Saturday’s Man O’War Sprint. With a plethora of well bred two-year-olds representing him this season, Rafeef looks poised to go from strength to strength.
Rafeef’s late, legendary sire Redoute’s Choice also made his mark in another Derby on Saturday -his daughter Love Is Fickle is the dam of Saturday’s Gr1 Bentley Australian Derby winner Hitotsu (Maurice) while Redoute’s Choice’s late son Burgundy is the sire of Saturday’s G1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes winner Maven Belle.
Aragosta, who is bred on a similar Redoute’s Choice/Galileo cross to Australian five time Gr1 winner and popular young sire The Autumn Sun, lacks nothing in pedigree terms.
Out of a Galileo half-sister to French classic winner and sire Clodovil (sired by Rafeef’s grandsire Danehill), Aragosta (whose granddam won the now G1 Prix de l’Opera), hails from a female line which has had plenty of success in South Africa. His fourth dam was sired by former KZN based stallion Home Guard (Forli), while Aragosta’s sixth dam Argentina (Nearco) not only produced a pair of stallions who stood in South Africa in Averof and Buffo, but she also rates as the granddam of former South African Horse Of The Year Flaming Rock (Ballad Rock).
While Danehill sires have a mixed record in South Africa, there can be no denying the overall impact they have had in this country.
His sire sons Requiem and Restructure feature as broodmare sires of champions War Of Athena and Legislate respectively, while another son Overlord sired champion sprinter Talktothestars.
Another son of Danehill, triple Gr1 winner Oratorio, has sired a number of stakes winners in South Africa, headed by dual Gr1 winning sprinter Van Halen.
Oratorio
Oratorio is also sire of the highly successful broodmare New Plays – dam of group winners Dolce Strega (Zoffany) and Epona Plays (Australila) granddam of rising Australian star filly Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni). The latter won Saturday’s Gr2 Amelia Park-Karrakatta Plate in Australia to remain unbeaten in three starts.
Sons of Danehill never to stand in South Africa also made their mark, with the likes of Fastnet Rock siring Gr2 Dingaans winner Curved Ball and Danehill Dancer’s Gr3 winning daughter Crimson Blossom producing Gr3 eLan Gold Cup winner Dynasty’s Blossom (Dynasty) and Listed East Cape Guineas winner Brilliant Crimson (Trippi).
Danehill’s outstanding son Redoute’s Choice more than made his mark in South Africa -not only through Rafeef and the latter’s champion brother Mustaaqeem, but also through champions Majmu and Musir, as well as dual Gr1 winner Wylie Hall, while another outstanding son of Danehill, Dansili, left Gr2 winning millionaire Espumanti -dam of this season’s Gr2 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers winner Sparkling Water (Silvano).
