Currently leading the South African general sires list, Maine Chance Farms sire Silvano dominated the Vodacom Durban July.
Marinaresco
Silvano, champion sire in South Africa in 2013, was represented by five runners in the July this year and they duly did their sire proud, with Marinaresco beating paternal half-brother Al Sahem into second, with Silvano’s Gr1 winning daughter Nightingale running fifth. Both Marinaresco and Nightingale are out of mares by dominant broodmare sire Fort Wood, while Al Sahem (whose dam is out of a Fort Wood mare) is bred on the same Silvano/Al Mufti cross as champions Bold Silvano and Kings Gambit. Nightingale’s second dam is by Al Mufti –whose daughters have built up a formidable record when sent to Silvano, and also include this season’s Track And Ball Derby winner Mr Winsome.
It is not the first time the progeny of Silvano have dominated a finish in the July, with Silvano sons Power King, Punta Arenas and Tellina running 1-2-3 in the 2015 July.
Silvano’s 2015 July 1-2-3
Silvano now has four July winning sons to his credit – Bold Silvano, Heavy Metal, Power King and Marinaresco.
He is the first since Montrose to have been represented by sons who have won the July on four occasions . Montrose’s three July winners including the dual winner Milesia Pride, who won in 1949 and 1950, and Silvano is now officially responsible for more individual July winners than any other sire in recent memory.
More than R6 million clear on the general sires list, Silvano has enjoyed a remarkable year. He has been represented by 13 individual stakes winners this year, and had an exceptionally strong crop of three-year-olds.
Silvano sons Al Sahem and Janoobi fight out the Gauteng Guineas
Silvano sophomores in 2016-2017 include Al Sahem, as well as dual Guineas winner Janoobi, Gr1 SA Fillies Classic winner Orchid Island, SA Oaks winner Wind Chill (as well as runner up Oriental Oak) and multiple stakes winning filly Epona – another out of an Al Mufti mare!
He has also got an exceptionally well bred crop of 2yos representing him this year, with Silvano’s tally of 2yo winners (at the time of writing) already standing at five, and this is bound to increase before the end of the season.
Silvano’s 20 Gr1 winners are made up of 13 males to win at the highest level which suggests he may be a slightly superior sire of colts than fillies but his overall record with siring top fillies is still well above average.
Silvano
The most successful son of German champion Lomitas, Silvano is one of the few remaining champion sires descended from Triple Crown winner Nijinsky II, whose son Dancing Champ sired July winners Dancing Duel and Space Walk.
While the Nijinsky II male line maybe fading from the major global picture, inbreeding to the 1970 champion is enjoying increasing success. This pattern can be found in the outstanding stallions Scat Daddy and Tapit.
Inbreeding to Nijinsky via Silvano has already produced Guineas winner and July third Tellina, as well as Equus Champion and Dubai Gr1 winner Vercingetorix. Nijinsky II also appears in the pedigree of Garden Province winner Bela-Bela, whose outstanding dam Mystic Spring is a daughter of the Nijinsky II sired Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Royal Academy.
Silvano is yet to be represented by a Gr1 winner as a broodmare sire –unusual for such a top class sire, whose first local crop was born in 2004. The best runners produced by Silvano mares thus far include Gr2 winner Cosmic Light, Victress Stakes winner Goodtime Gal, and recent stakes winners Louisiana (The Scarlet Lady), and Joking (Dahlia Plate). Both Cosmic Light and Joking are daughters of Silvano’s stablemate Querari.
Lassie Dear’s July impact
Keagan De Melo steers Crowd Pleaser to an easy win
It should not be forgotten the impact that the great mare Lassie Dear (Buckpasser) enjoyed at Greyville on Saturday. Lassie Dear’s name can be found in Saturday’s big race winners Crowd Pleaser (Betting World 2200), Desert Rhythm (Golden Slipper), and July runner up Al Sahem. Captain Splendid, the disqualified winner of the Gold Vase, is another carrying this great mare in his pedigree.
Desert Rhythm (Mambo In Seattle) is inbred to Lassie Dear (surely one of the most underrated factors in the local stud book), through her sire and damsire Al Mufti. Lassie Dear’s greatest grandson A P Indy is the sire of Judpot, responsible for Golden Slipper second Let It Flow.
