When Masar won Saturday’s Gr1 Investec Derby, he became the third generation to land the Epsom classic – his sire New Approach having won the English Derby in 2008,and his grandsire, Galileo, having won in 2001.
Masar is the first Epsom Derby winner since Slip Anchor (1985), whose sire and grandsire preceded him in landing the Blue Riband.
Masar wins The Investec Derby (Pic – www.godolphin.com
The 2018 running was also another feather in the cap of remarkable broodmare and Arc de Triomphe winner, Urban Sea (Miswaki). Not only is Masar inbred to Urban Sea (she is dam of Galileo and fourth dam of Masar), but Urban Sea is found in the pedigrees of nine of the 12 runners in this year’s Derby.
Masar is out of UAE Derby winner, Khawlah (Cape Cross), whose Irish Oaks runner up granddam, Melikah, is a daughter of Epsom Derby winner, Lammtarra, and Urban Sea.
Sea Side
The 2018 Investec Derby winner is the first major horse to carry inbreeding to Urban Sea, but given the outstanding success enjoyed by her son, Galileo, and another son, Sea The Stars, an increasingly successful sire himself, he is unlikely to be the last big race winner carrying this cross.
Ahonoora (Lorenzaccio-Helen Nichols)
Masar is also closely inbred to sprinter, Ahonoora, who is broodmare sire not only of New Approach but also of Masar’s grandsire, Cape Cross. Ahonoora sired the 1992 Epsom Derby winner, Dr Devious.
New Approach, sire of Masar, is no stranger to enjoying success at Epsom. The chestnut won the 2008 Epsom Derby and his daughter, Talent, won the Epsom Oaks of 2013, and son, Libertarian, ran second to the Galileo sired, Ruler Of The World, in the 2013 Investec Derby.
Ruler Of The World seen winning the Investec Derby in 2013
New Approach, who beat subsequent KZN sire, Traffic Guard (More Than Ready), when victorious in the 2008 Irish Champion Stakes, has 7 Gr1 winners to his name, including 2000 Guineas winner and champion, Dawn Approach. The latter has made a pleasing start with his first Northern Hemisphere 3yos this season, including Gr3 Prix de la Grotte winner, Musis Amica and Salsabil Stakes winner, Mary Tudor.
Galileo
New Approach’s record places him behind his paternal half-brother, Teofilo, as his sire’s most accomplished sire son to date. New Approach has had 37 stakes winners thus far (he commenced stud duties in 2009), while Teofilo (at stud since 2008) has sired over 70 black type winners, including Gr1 winners, Parish Hall, Trading Leather, Loch Garman, Ajman Princess and Pleascach.
Galileo
However, the Investec Derby meeting of 2018 firmly belongs to the remarkable Galileo, whose dominance of English classic races continues to grow at an astonishing rate. Not only is Galileo grandsire of Masar, but he is sire or grandsire of eight of the runners in this year’s Derby. Beaten favourite, and fourth place finisher, Saxon Warrior (Deep Impact) is out of Galileo’s Moyglare Stud Stakes winning daughter, Maybe.
Coolmore’s great stallion was also responsible for Friday’s impressive Investec Oaks winner, Forever Together, while Galileo’s greatest son, Frankel, is the sire of Investec Coronation Cup hero, Cracksman. The latter beat Salouen (out of the Galileo mare, Gali Gal) into second place when registering the third Gr1 victory of his career. Frankel went on to enjoy more Gr1 success later, when son, Mozu Ascot (his sire’s third Gr1 winner) won the Gr1 Yasuda Kinen on Sunday.
Oaks Third
Forever Together is the third daughter of Galileo to win the Oaks, having been preceded by Was (2012) and Minding (2016). Galileo’s sire, Sadler’s Wells, was responsible for five Oaks winners, while Galileo is also broodmare sire of 50-1 Oaks winner, Qualify (Fastnet Rock), and his sons, New Approach and Nathaniel, have both sired winners of the Epsom classic.
Galileo is also sire of Coronation Cup winners, Soldier Of Fortune and Highland Reel.
In total, Galileo has produced 12 English classic winners, with this tally including a trio of Epsom Derby winners and another trio of 2000 Guineas winners. As impressive as Galileo’s strike rate at Epsom is, it still can’t compare with the remarkable influence exerted by his sire, Sadler’s Wells. The latter is the male line ancestor of 8 winners since 2007 and is also broodmare sire of 2010 winner, Workforce (King’s Best).
Good Cross
Deceased Cape Cross, Green Desert), a full-brother to local sire Great Britain, is another who is no stranger to making his mark at Epsom.
Australia wins the Derby
Masar is the second Epsom Derby winner produced by a daughter of Cape Cross, also damsire of 2014 Investec Derby winner, Australia (Galileo). The latter is out of the Epsom Oaks winner, Ouija Board, whose sire is also responsible for Investec Derby winners, Sea The Stars (sire of Derby winner, Harzand, and Oaks winner, Taghrooda) and Golden Horn.
Sea The Stars was also responsible for Saturday’s Derby also ran, Knight To Behold and Cape Cross for Saturday’s Gr3 Investec Diomed Stakes winner, Century Dream.
