Superstar’s perfect pedigree
When world champion, Frankel, won the G1 Juddmonte International last week, he joined the likes of such greats as Sea The Stars, Triptych, Troy, and Dahlia to win the showpiece event. The race has also produced such champion, and influential, sires such as Roberto, Giant’s Causeway and Caerleon.
Frankel, whose value is said to be as high as 100 million pounds, is likely to retire after just one more start. His race record is well matched by an equally impeccable pedigree.
His sire, Galileo, has already accrued six sires titles to his credit, and has a host of promising sons at stud (New Approach, Sixties Icon, Helius, Teofilo), none of whom had the scary ability that Frankel has had throughout his phenomenal career. It is interesting to note, that Galileo’s first four sons to retire to stud, have all sired Group winners – which is a terrific start for him as a sire of sires.
Frankel’s first three dams are all stakes performers, with both his dam (Kind) and granddam (Rainbow Lake) having won two stakes races apiece. His first four generations contain the names of great sires Galileo, Sadler’s Wells, Danehill, Danzig, Northern Dancer, Rainbow Quest and Blushing Groom, and it is indeed hard to imagine a more complete stallion prospect retiring to stud in recent years.
The all time highest rated runner by Timeform, Frankel (147) will, no doubt, have every chance to succeed when he retires to stud.
Timeform’s previous top ten highest rated runners have a mixed record. Prior to Frankel, the top rated horse was Sea Bird (145). While regarded as a disappointing sire in general, Sea Bird did leave behind the likes of champion Little Current, G1 winner Gyr and leading sire Arctic Tern (himself sire of top sire Bering).
Joint third on the list were Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel (144). While the former was a dismal sire (his only top class performer being Light Cavalry), Tudor Minstrel was a successful sire. His offspring included champion sprinter Abernant, Kentucky Derby winner Tomy Lee, champion What A Treat, and leading sires Tudor Melody and Sing Sing.
Tudor Minstrel’s son, Abernant, himself was joint fifth highest rated horse alongside the unbeaten Ribot. Abernant sired winners of over 1000 races, including 1000 Guineas Abermaid, Irish 1000 Guineas Even Star, and champion South African sire New South Wales.
Ribot (who, remarkably won from 1000-3000m) was an even better sire, topping the UK sires list on three occasions. He sired over 60 stakes winners including champions Ragusa, Boucher, Ribocco, Ribero, Tom Rolfe, Arts and Letters and the disappointing Ribofilio.
Time alone will tell where Frankel sits among the list of top rated horses at stud – but there is no doubting he will receive ever opportunity to succeed.
Baby pic
This bay filly is last season’s impressive G1 Woolavington Stakes winner, Viva Maria, pictured as a yearling. The recently turned 4yo daughter of Jet Master looked awesome when holding off favourite, and stablemate, Ilha Bela to win the prestigious G1 event by four lengths! She stays in training, and hopefully can win more big races for owner breeder, Lammerskraal Stud. With her pedigree and race record, Viva Maria also looks to have a really bright future as a broodmare, when she retires to the paddocks.
Leading NH sires by GW
The list of leading Northern Hemisphere sires by group/graded winners in 2012 is a mixed one. The list features horses from USA, Ireland, Japan, Great Britain and Germany.
However, the list leader, comes as no surprise to anyone who follows international horse racing.
It is the increasingly dominant stallion, Galileo – who is fast building a stud record which compares favourably with his legendary sire, Sadler’s Wells.
Galileo, at the time of writing, is the leading sire of Group Winners thus far, having been represented in 2012 by a staggering 18 individual group winners. This is more than most stallions come up with in a lifetime at stud!
Frankel’s sire has been represented by the likes of G1 winners Was (Epsom Oaks), Golden Lilac (Prix d’Isapahan), Great Heavens (Irish Oaks), Nathaniel (Eclipse Stakes) and Imperial Monarch (Grand Prix de Paris) in 2012 alone. This coupled with Frankel’s remarkable run of form, confirms Galileo’s status as the world’s number one sire, and one of the great stallions of the past 20 years.
Remarkably, Galileo’s progeny won seven stakes race this weekend alone! In fact, last week alone, Galileo had no fewer than ten stakes winners. This is an unheard of achievement.
Second on the list is Japan’s brilliant sire Deep Impact (Sunday Silence). He has had 14 individual group winners this year – who have won no fewer than 18 group/graded races. Deep Impact had the Japanese 1000 Guineas winner for the second year in a row – with Gentildonna, and his son, Deep Brilliante, won the Japanese Derby. Deep Impact is also sire of Beauty Parlour (French 1000 Guineas, 2nd French Oaks), and he is one of the world’s most sought after sires. Remarkably offspring of Deep Impact ran 1-3-4 in the Japanese Derby and 1-2 in the Japanese 1000 Guineas.
Only Galileo and Deep Impact have been represented by over 10 GW’s in 2012. The dominance of such stallions is interesting, as both were at their very best at 2400m, and Deep Impact was a stakes winner over 3200m.
The third joint top sire in the Northern Hemisphere, currently, is Juddmonte Farms’ flagbearer, Dansili (Danehill). His nine group/graded winners include G1 winners Fallen For You (Coronation S) and Giofra (Falmouth Stakes).
He is tied for the third spot by GW’s alongside top Japanese sire King Kamehameha, whose tally includes the Japan Dirt Derby winner Hatano Vainqueur and G1 QEII Cup winner Rulership.
Next on the list is the champion German sire, Monsun, who has been represented by eight group winners this year. While Monsun’s offspring have failed to win at the very highest level, his successful progeny in 2012 include The Queen’s G3 Queen Vase winner Estimate, and G2 Princess of Wales Stakes winner, Fiorente.
An unlikely sort to feature on this list is Ghostzapper (Awesome Again). One of the finest racehorses to run in the USA over the past few decades, Ghostzapper began his stud career, at a fee of $200 000. In 2012, however, he stood for a fee of just $20,000.
However, 2012 proved a break out year for Ghostzapper, whose progeny included multiple G1 winning filly, Contested, G2 winner Better Lucky and G3 Hawker’s Bay.
