This Friday sees the running of one of the world’s great classics –the Gr1 Investec Oaks, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Intrepidity – 1993 English Oaks
First run in 1779, this 2400m classic has been won by some of history’s greatest racemares, with the roll of honour including such legends as Blink Bonny, Canterbury Pilgrim (dam of influential sires Chaucer and Swynford), La Fleche, Meld, Petite Etoile, Oh So Sharp, Ouija Board, Pretty Polly, Rockfel, Salsabil, Sceptre, Sun Chariot and Time Charter –to name but a few.
The impact that Oaks winners have had on the thoroughbred is undeniable.
From the likes of Blink Bonny (dam of Epsom Derby winner and champion sire Blair Athol) to Rosedrop (dam of Triple Crown winner Gainsborough –the sire of Hyperion), Oaks winners have more than played their part on major classic races the world over.
Danzig
Citation (Bull Lea) winner of the 1948 US Triple Crown and widely regarded as one of the three greatest racehorses bred in North America, is out of a daughter of Epsom Oaks winner Toboggan, while the mighty sire Danzig (Northern Dancer)’s third dam is Oaks winner Steady Aim (Felstead).
A number of Epsom Oaks winners have gone on to produce Epsom Derby winners.
This list includes the abovementioned Blink Bonny and Rosedrop, as well as the likes of Jest (Humorist), Meld (Charlottown), Ouija Board (Australia), and Snow Bride (Lammtarra), while two of the race’s greatest winners, Pretty Polly and Sceptre, both formed lasting legacies through their daughters and granddaughters. Pretty Polly’s influence, in particular, has been outstanding – with the now pensioned sire Cape Cross, whose offspring have enjoyed marked success in the Epsom classics (Sea The Stars, Ouija Board and Golden Horn are all sired by Cape Cross), among the legion of outstanding thoroughbreds who descend from this truly remarkable mare, who won 22 of her 24 outings.
Other Oaks winners in the past 40 years to have produced classic winners include Midway Lady (Eswarah) and Love Divine (Sixties Icon), while Fair Salinia (Petingo) is the second dam of Prix du Jockey Club hero Reliable Man. Monade (Klarion), winner of the 1962 version, founded a remarkable dynasty.
Second dam of dual Gr1 Gold Cup winner Sadeem (by Forli), Monade’s numerous high class descendants include US champion Queena (Mr Prospector), Gr1 Hollywood Derby winner Brahms (Danzig), Gr1 winners Chic Shirine (Mr Prospector) and Serra Lake (Seattle Slew) and Too Chic (Blushing Groom), and Ashford’s young Gr1 Haskell Invitational winner Verrazano (More Than Ready).
Rainbow Quest
Leading sire and broodmare sire Rainbow Quest (Blushing Groom) is a descendant of the brilliant Oaks winner Noblesse, as is Derby winner Commander In Chief and top miler and successful sire Warning, as was the ill-fated SA sire Await The Dawn (Giant’s Causeway).
But what of more modern day Oaks winners? How much success have recent Oaks winners enjoyed at stud?
Since 1990, Epsom Oaks winners have endured decidedly mixed fortunes at stud. The brilliant Salsabil (one of five English Oaks winners sired by Sadler’s Wells) unfortunately died young (she died aged nine), but the five time Gr1 winner enjoyed success at stud, with her runners including G3 Rockfel Stakes winner Bint Salsabil and G3 Knickerbocker Handicap winner and sire Sahm. The latter, in a brief stud career, sired multiple Gr1 winner Sahpresa and the ill-fated Breeders’ Cup winner Maram.
The next Oaks winners, Jet Ski Lady (Vaguely Noble), User Friendly (Slip Anchor), Intrepidity (Sadler’s Wells), and Balanchine (Storm Bird) all proved disappointing at stud, while the blue blooded Moonshell, victorious in 1995, ranks as the second dam of Australian champion and Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice).
Nureyev’s beautifully bred daughter Reams Of Verse, who won the Oaks in 1997, is the dam of Canadian Gr3 winner Eagle Poise (by Empire Maker) and second dam of Gr2 Celebration Mile winner Zacinto (Dansili) –now a red hot young sire in New Zealand.
Champion Diesis had a superb record in the Oaks –the full brother to Kris (himself sire of Oaks winners Oh So Sharp and Unite and damsire of Moonshell) sired three individual winners of the race – Diminuendo, Ramruma and Love Divine.
It was the latter who enjoyed classic success at stud following her victory in the 2000 Oaks, with Love Divine’s son Sixties Icon (by Galileo) going on to land the 2006 Gr1 Ladbrokes St Leger.
Galileo (Sadler’s Wells – Urban Sea)
The brilliant Imagine, a Sadler’s Wells half sister to Derby hero Generous (Caerleon), won the Oaks in 2001 (her sire Sadler’s Wells enjoyed an Epsom classic double that year, when Galileo provided the great sire with his first Epsom Derby winner).
Not surprisingly, given her race record and pedigree, Imagine has gone on to be top class broodmare. Her offspring include ill-fated Gr1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere winner Horatio Nelson (Danehill), as well as Gr2 Rockfel Stakes heroine Kitty Matcham, and Gr2 winner Viscount Nelson (Giant’s Causeway).
The tough 2002 Oaks winner Kazzia (whose sire Zinaad was produced by former Oaks winner Time Charter) did not have a long innings at stud, but she did leave behind Gr1 Dubai Sheema Classic hero Eastern Anthem (by Singspiel), while Ouija Board, one of the greatest of modern day Oaks winners, lived up to expectations when her chestnut son Australia (Galileo), who now stands at Coolmore, won both the Investec and Irish Derbies of 2014.
Australia – brilliant
Currently standing for a fee of €50,000, Australia is regarded as one of the world’s most exciting young sires.
Ouija Board, who won seven Gr1 races during her career, is also the dam of the ill-fated Gr3 Easter Cup winner Our Voodoo Prince (Kingmambo).
The fortunes of Oaks winners at stud could get a further boost this year- with 2007 winner Light Shift (by Kingmambo) the dam of highly rated Derby candidate Ulysses (Galileo). A colt with a host of G1 entries, Ulysses broke his maiden by eight lengths and looks a horse destined for bigger things!
