Promising Takar Belies Beliefs About Older Mares
The Aga Khan’s Takar, who has won two of his three starts to date, stamped himself as a potentially exciting 3yo to watch when he won the recent Tetrarch Stakes (a prep for the Irish 2000 Guineas). By the red hot sire Oratorio (whose runners have been firing both in Europe and South Africa), Takar is out of the Green Dancer mare, Takarouna.
What is interesting about Takar’s pedigree, is that his dam was 19 when he was born. A proven stakes producer, Takarouna had previously produced Takali (Royal Whip S), Takarian (Meld S), Tanouna (Galtres S) and the stakes placed Takariya.
Clearly age was no barrier for Takarouna!
Another top-class performer produced by an older mare was this year’s 1000 Guineas winner, Homecoming Queen. She was born when her dam, Lagrion, was 20 years old. Lagrion, like Takarouna, is a proven world class producer, having previously produced champions Dylan Thomas and Queen’s Logic.
This classy performers clearly underline the fact that a good broodmare remains capable of producing stakes winners, at the highest level, regardless of age.
First Winner For Rock Opera
Former Equus Champion 2yo filly, Rock Opera (Lecture – Drummer Girl) was recently represented by her first winner in the UK. Her 2yo son Heavy Metal (by outstanding sire Exceed And Excel) won a five furlong maiden at Brighton in convincing fashion. Owned by Sheikh Hamden Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the colt is trained by Mark Johnston.
The colt is certainly bred to fly, as both his sire and dam won G1 contests over six furlongs.
Heavy Metal has been entered in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, which will be run at the Curragh later in the season.
Rock Opera is also the dam of a Singspiel colt, who was placed, but unfortunately she missed to the cover of Exceed And Excel this season.
Classically Bred Colt Wins South Aus Derby
Zabeelionaire, winner of the recent G1 South Australian Derby, has a classic pedigree, to say the least. He is one of no fewer than 42 G1 winners for his sire, Zabeel, himself winner of the Australian Guineas. Zabeel has sired 17 classic winners.
Zabeelionaire is out of a mare by Prix de’l Arc de Triomphe winner Carnegie – who hails from the same family as Zabeel.
Zabeelionaire is inbred to the great sire, Nureyev – broodmare sire of Zabeel, and the sire of Zabeelionaire’s fourth dam. He is also inbred to Special – granddam of Carnegie’s sire Sadler’s Wells and the dam of Nureyev. The 2012 SA Derby winner is a direct descendant of Simons Shoes – ancestress of Sadler’s Wells and Nureyev, among a host of great horses.
Guineas Winners’ Contrasting Pedigrees
Sunday saw the running of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas). The two classics were won by horses with vastly different pedigrees.
The French 1000 Guineas was won by Beauty Parlour – who gave her sire, Japanese superstar Deep Impact, his first European classic winner. Deep Impact had previously produced the last two Japanese 1000 Guineas winners Marcellina and Gentildonna, and the former Triple Crown winner has made a superb start to his stud career. Beauty Parlour is from the second crop of her sire, who retired to stud in 2007. Deep Impact, himself a son of Champion Sunday Silence and G1 winner Wind In Her Hair, has already produced five G1 winners in his first two full crops (ie 3 and 4 year olds) to race.
Beauty Parlour is out of a stakes winning daughter of world leading sire and broodmare sire Giant’s Causeway (the latter is already broodmare sire of the 2012 G1 winners Eden’s Moon and Soft Falling Rain). Her dam, Bastet, is a half-sister to champion Australian runner Might And Power, and this is the family of such great sires as Sir Tristram and Hyperion. (Another runner from this family well known to South Africans is top SA sprinter What A Winter).
Lucayan is by the promising French sire Turtle Bowl, also sire of 2000 Guineas runner up French Fifteen. Turtle Bowl, winner of the G1 Prix Jean Prat, himself stood this season for a fee of just 6,000 euros – a fee which is bound to go up for next season. Like champion sire Montjeu, Turtle Bowl is out of a mare by French Derby winner, Top Ville.
Lucayan’s first two dams won two races between them, and his first three dams never bred a stakes winner, although Lucayan himself is a half-brother to a champion stayer in Spain. However, the fourth dam is Pasadoble – dam of the mighty Miesque. Miesque herself founded a dynasty through such horses as Kingmambo, East of the Moon and Miesque’s Son, and Miesque is also dam of the promising young SA sire Judpot.
This family is very much alive and kicking, so to speak, in South Africa, and is represented by recent G2 KRA Fillies Guineas winner Amanee. Another top-class contender from this family is the promising Irish 3yo Tower Rock, who was a close second in Sunday’s G2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.
Gibraltar Maintains Excellent Record
South African’s leading sires list, by average earnings per runner, makes for interesting reading. It is headed by the Irish based Rock of Gibraltar, whose 20 local runners have earned over R3.591 million this season, with an average earnings index of R179, 560.
This is quite exceptional, even for a stallion with a long history of producing high-class runners ,in this country in particular.
Rock of Gibraltar has been represented by three stakes winners in South Africa this season – Europa Point, Atyeb, and Gibraltar Blue. Overall, the stallion has left behind seven individual black type winners in this country including the talented Perana, and the G1 winner Seventh Rock, a horse who has attracted plenty of attention as a young stallion.
Rock of Gibraltar’s progeny have also proven to be extremely versatile – his daughter, Gibraltar Blue, won this season’s G3 Jo’Burg Spring Challenge (over 1450m) while son, Atyeb, landed the G3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850 metres.
It is also interesting to note, that while some stallions seem to get stock more effective in some parts of the world than others, Rock Of Gibraltar has produced G1 winners in France, Hong Kong, North America, Australia, South Africa and Britain.
SA Ties To Top British 3yo
There are strong South Africa ties to one of this season’s most progressive 3yos, Mickdaam. The colt, who recently won the G3 Chester Vase (despite a rather poor ride), is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, who has raced such champions as Bold Silvano, Igugu, and Mahbooba in South Africa.
Mickdaam was purchased at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale by Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe, who snapped up the well bred bay up for 360,000 guineas.
The colt, who had previously won the Listed Al Bastikiya, is beautifully bred, being by world leading sire Dubawi, and is a half-brother to G1 winner Kinnaird. He has considerable stud value, with Dubawi, who stands for a stud fee the equivalent of R985,000, being one of the most sought after sires in Europe. He is the sire of the 2012 Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso, among others.
Originally Mickdaam was being pointed at the Investec Derby, but unfortunately he has suffered a setback in training, and is likely to miss the Blue Riband.
