The name of My Charmer (Poker) is forever linked to her great son, Seattle Slew (Bold Reasoning), writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Seattle Slew was one of the greatest North American racehorses and sires of all time.
Seattle Slew
A Triple Crown winner and Horse Of The Year, “Slew”, went on to make a great name for himself at stud, and headed North America’s Sires List in 1984 (the year his son Swale won the Kentucky Derby).
Living Legacy
Sire of over 100 stakes winners, and twice champion broodmare sire in North America, Seattle Slew left behind a truly great sire son, in A P Indy as well as the successful sires, Capote, Avenue Of Flags and General Meeting.
California Chrome
His legacy continues unabated today, with Seattle Slew’s male line descendants this year including US champion, California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), Gr1 Belmont Stakes winner, Creator (Tapit), and Gr1 winning 2yos Gormley, Pretty City Dancer and Sweet Loretta.
Inbreeding to Seattle Slew is becoming increasingly successful, with that pattern having produced such notable Grade One winners as Constitution (Tapit), Competitive Edge (Super Saver), Frosted (Tapit) and Morning Line (Tiznow).
Interestingly, while inbreeding to Seattle Slew himself has proved consistently successful, similar inbreeding to My Charmer has yet to yield similar returns.
Tapit
Seattle Slew’s descendant, Tapit, is on course to record a third consecutive 1st on the US General Sires List, while Bernardini, Judpot and Malibu Moon are other Slew line stallions represented by Grade One winners in 2016.
Sensation
Currently three of the top ten on the US General Sires List are Seattle Slew descendants and Slew is also found in the pedigree of dual Breeders’ Cup Classic hero and top sire, Tiznow, sire of US sire sensation, Gemologist.
However, the great Seattle Slew is not the only descendant keeping the name of former Gr2 Fair Grounds Oaks winner, My Charmer, in the news.
Her classic winning son, Lomond (Northern Dancer), was hardly one of his sire’s best sire sons, but did leave behind a handful of Gr1 winners, headed by Dark Lomond (Irish St Leger), Marling (Irish 1000 Guineas), and Valanour (Grand Prix de Paris).
As an exceptionally well bred horse, who was given plenty of good mares early on his career, it came as no surprise to see Lomond become a successful broodmare sire and it is as a damsire that he seems destined to make his mark on the breed.
Exceed And Excel
Among the best horses produced by Lomond mares are Australian champion sprinter, Exceed And Excel (Danehill), and Gr3 Greenham Stakes winner, Inchinor (Ahonoora).
One of the best sire sons of Danehill, and winner of the Gr1 Newmarket Handicap, Exceed And Excel was produced by the Lomond mare, Patrona, whose own dam, Gladiolus, won 17 races, including the Interborough Handicap twice.
Solid Success
Champion Sire in Australia in 2012-2013, Exceed And Excel has more than 100 stakes winners to his credit, and has enjoyed solid success in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. At the time of writing, Exceed And Excel has had 10 Gr1 winners, including the promising young sires, Helmet and Excelebration, sire of one of the joint sales toppers at Saturday’s CTS Ready To Run Sale.
The Darley sire has made a cracking start in Australia and has already been represented by 8 individual stakes winners this season!
Exceed And Excel is also showing considerable promise as a broodmare sire; not only is he damsire of New Zealand champion, Bounding (Lonhro), but he is also damsire of 2016 Gr1 Golden Rose hero, Astern (Medaglia D’Oro).
Combination
Clearly Exceed And Excel enjoys El Prado in pedigrees, with the latter not only sire of Medaglia D’Oro but also featuring as the broodmare sire of the Exceed And Excel sired Breeders’ Cup hero, Outstrip.
Sadly, Inchinor (another out of a Lomond mare) did not have a long innings at stud as he died at the young age of 13, after surgery on a broken leg.
However, the former Stanley House Stud inmate certainly made his presence felt from relatively limited opportunities. His top runners included multiple Gr1 winner, Notnowcato (himself the sire of multiple group winner, Custom Cut), French Oaks winner, Latice, Gr1 Prix Morny heroine, Silca’s Sister, and shock QE II Stakes winner, Summoner. Unfortunately the latter proved infertile when sent to stud.
In The News
My Charmer herself made headlines in 2016 when her descendant, Awtaad (Cape Cross) defeated Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas hero, Galileo Gold (Paco Boy), to win the classic Gr1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas.
Also successful recently, in the Gr2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes, Awtaad is set to retire to Derrinstown Stud in 2017.
Awtaad is the first Gr1 winner produced by a daughter of Shamardal and his fifth dam is My Charmer.
Amberpondo wins 1994 Summerveld Stakes
My Charmer was also responsible for the stakes winner and former Gr1 SA sire, Argosy (Affirmed) and Gr1 Grand Prix de Paris runner up, and $13.1 million yearling buy, Seattle Dancer (Nijinsky II). Both Argosy and Seattle Dancer sired Gr1 winners, and both feature as broodmare sires of top flight winners, with Argosy appearing as the broodmare sire of local Grade One winners, Amberpondo (Champion Stakes), Ethereal Lady (SA Fillies Sprint) and Vega (The Merchants), among others.
Decades
Seattle Dancer, whose daughter, Pike Place Dancer, won the 1996 Gr1 Kentucky Oaks, is damsire of a number of high class performers, notably Gr1 Racing Post Trophy hero Palace Episode (Machiavellian).
With Exceed And Excel firing on all cylinders, and Slew’s descendants continuing to make waves the world over, it looks a good bet that the influence of My Charmer will be felt for decades to come.
