Deceased sire legend Sadler’s Wells proved the dominating force in international racing this past weekend.
Sadler’s Wells
His greatest son Galileo is not only damsire of Saturday’s Gr1 July Cup winner U S Navy Flag, but the world’s greatest stallion was represented by his 72nd Gr1 winner when Kew Gardens, a second winner of the race for his sire following Imperial Monarch in 2012, lifted the prestigious Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris on Longchamp on the same day.
Galileo mares have enjoyed a good seven days, with US Navy Flag one of four stakes winners to have represented Galileo as a broodmare sire over the past seven days.
Now within one Gr1 winner of his own remarkable sire, Galileo had been represented by 21 stakes winners in 2018 at the time of writing.
Galileo
Galileo’s tally of black type winners this year include Investec Oaks winner Forever Together – the third daughter of Galileo to land the Epsom Oaks following Was and Minding. (Galileo’s son New Approach being sire of 2018 Investec Derby hero Masar).
Sadler’s Wells line descendants also dominated North America graded features over the weekend, winning all of the Gr2 Delaware Handicap (Elate – by Medaglia D’Oro), Gr3 Indiana Oaks (Talk Veuve To Me), and Gr3 Indiana Derby (Axelrod – by Warrior’s Reward).
Sadler’s Wells’ influence also continues to be felt in Australasia where his six time Gr1 winning son, the short-lived High Chaparral, was represented by four Gr1 winners this past season, including Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling.
Fort Wood, Sadler’s Wells’ best son ever to stand at stud in South Africa, also made his mark felt at Kenilworth this weekend, with Fort Wood daughter Bonze the dam of Saturday’s Listed Highlands Stud Irridescence Stakes winner Coral Bay. Fort Wood sired champion Horse Chestnut also made his mark on Saturday, when daughter Brave Move won the Listed Highlands Stud Ladies Mile. Fort Wood son Dynasty is damsire of Saturday’s Langerman runner up Frank Lloyd Wright and third place getter Charles.
Coral Bay – Irridescence Stakes winner
Another by Sadler’s Wells, Casey Tibbs, was responsible for the dams of both Do It Again and Made To Conquer – the first two home in the recent Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.
Remarkably, with an ever growing number of young stallions coming through the ranks, the Sadler’s Wells dominance shows no sign of slowing – if anything, his legion of high class descendants looks set to grow further in coming years thanks to a large number of exceptionally promising young stallions currently active.
Here are just a few young guns who could continue to maintain the great success enjoyed by Sadler’s Wells and his kin.
CAMELOT
The four time Gr1 winner, and one of four Epsom Derby winners for his sire, is showing strong signs he could yet become the heir to his much missed outstanding sire Montjeu. The bay, a direct descendant of the unbeaten legend Kincsem, has made a considerable impact with his first crop (3yos in the Northern Hemisphere this year) having already produced six group/graded winners, notably Gr1 Irish Derby hero Latrobe and Gr1 Belmont Oaks winner Athena.
Camelot
Camelot also looks to have some smart 2yos on his hands, with this crop including Chesham Stakes winner Arthur Kitt, and his daughter Goddess, an own sister to Athena, was installed as favourite for the 2019 1000 Guineas following her breath taking ten length win at Leopardstown on Thursday.
INTELLO
A French Derby winning son of Galileo and from the same family as Dubawi’s sire Dubai Millennium and Fort Wood, Intello has made an excellent start with his first crop (now three). Standing alongside Pivotal at the Cheveley Park Stud, Intello came up with a first crop Gr1 winner when his son Intellogent landed the Qatar Prix Jean Prat at Deauville recently. Intellogent is one of five stakes winners produced in Intello’s first crop (Chester Vase hero Young Rascal being another), with this crop having also thrown French Derby third Louis D’Or.
Intello is bred on the same Galileo/Danehill cross as proven G1 stallions Frankel and Teofilo.
VIOLENCE
Sadler’s Wells, against many people’s expectations, also has a thriving dynasty in North America, thanks largely to his El Prado’s Medaglia D’Oro and Kitten’s Joy. Responsible for an impressive 7 Gr1 winners in 2017, Medaglia D’Oro now looks to have come up with a very promising sire son in the form of once-beaten Gr1 Cash Call Futurity winner Violence. The latter ended 2017 as North America’s second Leading First Crop Sire by earnings, and Violence’s first crop, now 3, has already yielded five stakes winners. With yearlings having made up to $850 000, and his first crop having produced graded stakes winners Cosmic Burst and Talk Veuve To Me, Violence looks yet another potential high class sire to have emerged from this remarkable sire line.
NATHANIEL
Galileo’s dual Gr1 winning son made a splash with five time Gr1 winning champion Enable in his first crop and has proved himself a no one hit wonder with seven stakes winners having emerged from his first crop. Nathaniel’s second crop, while yet to uncover another Enable as yet, has already produced Oaks Trial winner and Investec Oaks contender Perfect Clarity.
FRANKEL
Timeform’s highest rated horse in history has made the expected superb start to his stud career, with his first two crops having already yielded four Gr1 winners and his current 3yos include unbeaten 3yo Without Parole-who won the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes seven years after his sire did. With a remarkable 19 group/graded winners in his first two crops, Frankel has proven without doubt his ability to sire high class stock –even if he has a long way to go to match his sire’s deeds at stud.
Partners In Time. Tom Queally and the great Frankel
SO YOU THINK
While dual Cox Plate winner So You Think’s Northern Hemisphere runners have failed to make much of an impression, the 10 time Gr1 winning son of High Chaparral has fared much better in Australasia thus far. To date, So You Think’s first two full Southern Hemisphere crops of racing age have yielded 13 stakes winners including the Gr1 winners La Diosa Bella (NZ 1000 Guineas), Inference (Randwick Guineas), Sorpressa (Schweppes Oaks) and D’Argento (Rosehill Guineas).
He could well continue the great results enjoyed by High Chaparral in Australasia and So You Think could well prove a major conduit in keeping the Sadler’s Wells male line to the fore in classics “Down Under”.
