English Oaks winners at stud
The Investec Oaks, which will be run on June 1st, has a long history of being won by some of the sport’s greatest fillies. Names like Pretty Polly, Sceptre, La Fleche, Rockfel, Sun Chariot and Canterbury Pilgrim are all on the roll of honour for the Oaks.
The English Classic is widely regarded as the ultimate race for a filly or mare to win. But has it lived up to expectations as a producer of top broodmares?
Looking back at the Epsom Oaks since 1980, it is clear that the great race has had mixed fortunes when it came to producing successful broodmares.
The 1980 winner, Bireme (Grundy), produced 8 winners, the best of which was G3 Rockfel Stakes heroine Yawl (Rainbow Quest). Her best other runner was a six time winning hurdler.
In 1981, the Oaks went to the brilliant Blue Wind (Lord Gayle), who also landed the Irish equivalent. At stud, Blue Wind was a huge disappointment. From seven registered foals, just one won a race.
The 1982 victress, Time Charter (Saritamer), was a truly great filly. Her nine wins included the King George and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, Champion Stakes and Coronation Cup. At stud, Time Charter enjoyed a long and distinguished career. She produced 10 foals, of which seven won. Her offspring included the high-class, but ill fated filly Time Allowed (Sadler’s Wells) and Zinaad – both of whom won the Jockey Club Stakes. At stud, Zinaad (Shirley Heights) sired 2002 Oaks winner, Kazzia.
In 1983 the Oaks was won by a maiden, Sun Princess (English Prince). Sun Princess proved a wonderful racemare, and after winning the Oaks, she went on to land the G1 Yorkshire Oaks as well as the final British classic of the year, the St Leger. At stud, Sun Princess proved most successful, producing eight winners, three of which won stakes races. She produced the ill-fated G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Prince of Dance (Sadler’s Wells), and is also the ancestress of Japan Derby winner and sire, Fusaichi Concorde (Caerleon).
The 1984 winner, Circus Plume, was a daughter of the wonderful broodmare sire, High Top. At stud, she produced champion Italian filly, Scarlet Plume (Warning), and she also produced two other minor black type performers.
One of the best Oaks winners of the 80’s was Triple Crown winner, Oh So Sharp. The daughter of Kris was never unplaced, and won all of the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger. At stud, Oh So Sharp was equally consistent and successful. Her seven winners include G1 winner Rosefinch (Prix Saint Alary) and G2 winner Shaima (dam of English St Leger winner and G1 sire Shantou).
The 1986 winner, Midway Lady, not only also won the 1000 Guineas, but she is the most recent Oaks winner to produce an Oaks winner at stud. Her daughter Eswarah (Unfuwain) won the great race back in 2005. Midway Lady is also dam of G3 winner Itnab and G1 performer Umniyatee.
Kris’s daughter Unite won the Oaks in 1987 and she did well as a broodmare. From seven foals, Unite produced four winners, including G2 winner La Confederation. She is also granddam of high-class stayer Veracity and New Zealand, runner up in the Irish St Leger.
The next year 1988 the Oaks was won by Diminuendo (by Kris’s brother, Diesis). She produced four winners, with the G3 winner Calando being her sole runner of note.
The 1989 race saw original winner, Aliysa, disqualified and Snow Bride instated as the official Oaks winner. Both mares made their marks at stud, with Aliysa producing G3 Craven Stakes winner Desert Story as well as the dam of the Irish Derby winner Alamshar. Snow Bride, in turn, produced 3 stakes winners including unbeaten Epsom Derby winner Lammtarra. At the time of writing, Snow Bride is the most recent Epsom Oaks winner to produce an English Derby winner at stud.
The 1990 Oaks winner, Salsabil, was one of the great fillies of the 90’s, with her wins including a historic victory in the Irish Derby. At stud, Salsabil produced graded/group winners Sahm and Bint Salsabil. Her sire, Sahm, proved a useful sire before a premature death, producing triple Sun Chariot winner Sahpresa and Breeders Cup winner Maram.
Oddly enough, the Oaks winners from 1991-1995 proved disappointing at stud, failing to produce anything outstanding.
In 1996, the Oaks was won in brilliant style by Lady Carla. At stud, Lady Carla produced the group placed pair of Avalon and High Ruler (the latter finished third in the Irish 2000 Guineas). Her son, Indigo Magic, is currently on lease from Wafic Said at Oldlands Stud, where he is the sire of recent Fillies Guineas winner Go Indigo and this weekend’s G1 Golden Horse Casino third place finisher, Shades of Indigo.
The impeccably bred Oaks winner of 1997, Reams of Verse, has, to date, thrown two stakes winners, including the G3 winner Eagle Poise.
The following year’s winner, Shahtoush, has enjoyed little success at stud, producing just two minor winners to date.
The next Oaks winner to enjoy significant success at stud was the 2000 victress, Love Divine. Another daughter of Diesis, Love Divine is the dam of G1 St Leger winner, Sixties Icon (Galileo) – himself now a leading first season sire in the UK.
Remarkably the 2001 and 2002 Oaks winner both produced G1 winners – Imagine (Sadler’s Wells) is the dam of ill fated Prix Jean Lac Lagardere winner Horatio Nelson (Danehill) and Kazzia (Zinaad) producing G1 Dubai Sheema Classic hero Eastern Anthem (Singspiel).
It is worth noting that 7 Oaks winners since 1980 have produced G1 winners – which means that taking up to 2005, 28% of recent Oaks winners have bred winners at the highest level!
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Sire line’s remarkable success in SA’s Juvenile feature
It is hard to imagine a sire line which has enjoyed more success in the G1 Medallion, run at Scottsville, than the father/son combination of National Assembly and National Emblem. Between them, the pair have produced no fewer than five winners of this prestigious race!
National Assembly sired two individual winners of the race, in Historic Lady and National Currency. No fewer than five of National Assembly’s other progeny were placed in the G1 event.
His son, National Emblem, has, following Potent Power’s win on Saturday, outdone his sire. To date, National Emblem has now sired three winners of the Gold Medallion – Rip Curl, Carnadore and Potent Power – which is a tremendous feat.
Saturday’s speed bonanza meeting at Scottsville also proved a huge feather in the cap of leading sire, Captain Al. The latter is not only sire of G1 Allan Robertson Championship winner All Is Secret , but he is also broodmare sire of Potent Power.
