Daylami
A sire’s whose first local 2yos have made a good early impression is Daylami (Doyoun). Now relocated to Ireland, Daylami’s first crop of juveniles include two stakes performers in the useful fillies Starring Emma (3rd East Cape Fillies Nursery) and Super Elegant (3rd Kenilworth Fillies Nursery). It’s surprising to see the progeny of Daylami showing precocity, as he himself was best as a 4yo and 5yo.
Daylami has also been in the news overseas, thanks to his high-class sons Indian Days and Voila Ici. Indian Days landed the G3 John Porter Stakes earlier in the season , whilst Voila Ici recently landed the G1 Gran Premio di Milano. Voila Ici has now won five group races, and he has won or placed in no fewer than seven G1 races.
This year alone, Daylami has been represented by three international graded winners, with his son Whispering Gallery winning the G3 Drc Gold Cup (defeating subsequent Ascot Gold Cup runner up Opinion Poll in the process).
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Mother Russia’s first mate
Last season’s Equus Champion Older Female (and the leading contender for this year’s award), Mother Russia (Windrush) has been booked to Captain Al for her first mate. Captain Al has enjoyed unparallel success with his juveniles this season, with 13 individual juvenile winners (which include four stakes winners including the once beaten Trinty House and the ultra promising filly Leeward).
Mother Russia is without question one of the finest racemares to race in this country in the last few years, and it will be interesting to follow her progress at stud.
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Cacique
Few mares have achieved as much success as has Hasili. The dam of no fewer than 5 G1 winners, which include two Breeders Cup winners, (as well as champion sire Dansili), Hasili is also the granddam of young SA sire Ideal World (Kingmambo). Sadly one of Hasili’s sons, the G1 winner Cacique (who defeated promising SA sire Go Deputy when winning the G1 Man O’War Stakes), was pensioned from stud duty at the age of nine, due to increasing fertility problems.
Recent results, however, suggest that Cacique’s premature retirement could have been a loss to the breeding world. His first crop, now 3yos, number 27, but whose ten individual winners include two smart performers in Mutual Trust and Slumber. Cacique’s first crop also includes the stakes placed filly Katerini and the talented Census, who finished second at Royal Ascot in the King George V Handicap, as well as the talented colt Dominant – winner of Saturday’s Tattersalls Millions 3yo Cup.
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Sadler’s Derby Dominance
As a sire, Sadler’s Wells enjoyed a remarkable success as a sire of Derby winners. During his amazing stud career, Sadler’s Wells sired no fewer than 74 G1 winners, including five major European Derby winners .
This last weekend, Sadler’s Wells descendants were again to the fore in several Derbies around the world. His son Galileo, who has been represented by six individual classic winners this year, sired the first two home in Sunday’s G1 Irish Derby in the form of Treasure Beach and Seville. (In fact, four of the eight colts who ran in the Irish Derby are sons of Galileo).
The third colt home in the Irish Derby, Memphis Tennessee, is sired by Sadler’s Wells’ grandson, Hurricane Run.
Galileo is also the sire of Il Saggiatore, who was awarded the G2 Gold Circle Derby after original winner Sage Throne was disqualified. Sage Throne himself is a son of Dynasty -a grandson of Sadler’s Wells.
Remarkably, Galileo enjoyed further success on Saturday, when his classic winning daughter, the white faced Misty For Me, won the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes over older champion Midday.The 3yo has now won four G1 races at 2 and 3, and is clearly one of her sire’s most talented daughters.
In Cape Town, the G3 Winter Derby was fought out by Sadler’s Wells grandsons Nyaean Bolt and Chesalon, sons of Nysaean and Fort Wood respectively.
Sadler’s Wells’ descedants’ weekend success was not limited to 3yos. His brilliant daughter, Sarafina (Refuse to Bend) won Sunday’s G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, becoming the third filly to win the 2400m race in the last six years.
Refuse to Bend is also sire of Saturday’s Ladies Mile victress, Ocean of Time.
Last weekend, saw Sadler’s Wells granddaughter, Lips Poison, win the G2 German 1000 Guineas.
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First season sires
With the current season having just a month to go, it is an appropriate time to review the current group of first crop sires. This year, there has been a large group of stallions represented by their first crop of juveniles.
Currently leading the first crop sires list is Black Minnaloushe. The former Irish 2000 Guineas has been represented by eight individual winners to date. This is a promising start for a stallion who was at his best as a 3yo. To date, his 27 runners out have earned over R520 000. Black Minnaloushe’s first crop include three stakes performers, including the promising filly Moon Spun – who was second in the G2 Debutante Stakes. It will be interesting to follow Black Minnaloushe’s progeny when they step up in trip.
Just behind Black Minnaloushe on the first season sires list is Miesque’s Approval. The latter has made an impressive start when taking into consideration, that he enjoyed his best season on the track as a 7yo! To date, he has had 26 runners, of which seven have won, and his first crop of 2yos have amassed R472,220 (at the time of writing). To date, Miesque’s Approval’s best progeny include the useful 2yos Don’t Tell Mama and Top of the Chocs.
Albert Hall and Daylami are third and fourth, respectively, on the first crop sires list, but that pair are some way off the first two. Both Albert Hall (Danehill) and Daylami have been represented by three winners apiece,
The Zabeel stallion Greys Inn (whose runners were always going to improve with time and a step up in trip), was fifth on the list at the time of writing.
What is striking about the first crop sires list is, at the time of writing, none of the first crop sires have been represented by a stakes winner. The majority of the sires involved, however, have pedigrees and race records to suggest their stock should continue to improve with age and distance, and things could well look very different this time next season.
