The influence of Sadler’s Wells stallion El Prado was felt globally last week. His son Medaglia D’Oro joined an elite band of stallions with 100 stakes winners, while El Prado himself featured as broodmare sire of Gr1 SA Classic winner Heavenly Blue.
Heavenly Blue wins the SA Classic
That was the seventh Gr1 winner produced by a daughter of El Prado, who also shows up in Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can (Proud Citizen) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Outstrip (Exceed And Excel). The latter is bred on a similar cross to Heavenly Blue, being by a Danehill line sire out of an El Prado mare.
Heavenly Blue, the first Gr1 winner in South Africa for his sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), is the latest Gr1 winner bred on the Danehill/Sadler’s Wells cross.
Snitzel
This combination can be found in Irish Oaks (and 3 other Gr1’s) winner Peeping Fawn, English 1000 Guineas winner (and 2 other Gr1’s) Legatissimo, Epsom Oaks winner (from Legatissimo) Qualify, last season’s Gr1 winning 2yos Rivet and Intricately, Horatio Nelson, five time Gr1 winner Flintshire, and multiple Gr1 winning filly The Fugue.
In South Africa the winner of the Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup, Ilitshe, is by Fastnet Rock (Danehill) out of a Sadler’s Wells mare.
El Prado achieved success as a sire against the odds – he was an Irish Champion 2yo who failed to train on, then spent his entire stud career in North America where turf horses traditionally attract less attention. A son of two Irish classic winners, he was by Sadler’s Wells out of Irish 1000 Guineas winner Lady Capulet (who landed her classic on debut). The latter was a daughter of Epsom Derby winner Sir Ivor, and three- parts sister to the undefeated Drone (Sir Gaylord). That may explain why El Prado was taken to the USA, as Drone was successful sire and broodmare sire (in the latter category of Kentucky Derby winners Charismatic and Grindstone).
Interestingly, El Prado’s Gr1 winning daughter Asi Siempre is out of the mare Turkish Treasure, who is a 3-part sister to El Prado’s dam Lady Capulet. That makes for a 2×2 cross to the close relatives in Asi Siempre, who became the dam of Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Outstrip (Exceed And Excel, by Danehill).
Despite the bias against turf horses, and having to cover relatively ordinary mares early in his stud career, El Prado sired more than 80 stakes winners. He headed the US General Sires List in 2002. El Prado is influential especially through his sons Medaglia D’Oro and Kitten’s Joy.
In contrast to El Prado, whose eight Gr1 winners include six males, Medaglia D’Oro has built a reputation for himself as an outstanding sire of fillies.
His daughters include champions Rachel Alexandra and Songbird, Breeders’ Cup winner New Money Honey, and Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty. As broodmare sire he can be found in Gr1 winners Rachel’s Valentina (Bernardini) and Rock Fall (Speightstown). Medaglia D’Oro’s 16 Gr1 winners include Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver (now a sire), but he’s yet to be represented by a male as good as Rachel Alexandra or Songbird.
Rachel Alexandra wins the 2009 Woodward Stakes
Kitten’s Joy, who is from the female line of multiple champion and US Horse of the Year Spectacular Bid, was US champion sire in 2013.
An outstanding turf performer in North America (he was Champion Turf Male in 2004), Kitten’s Joy sired Breeders’ Cup winners Stephanie’s Kitten, Bobby’s Kitten and Oscar Performance. He also enjoyed success as a sire in Europe, with Gr1 Coral Eclipse winner Hawkbill. Kitten’s Joy currently heads the US Turf Sires list once again.
El Prado has another Gr1 sire son, Artie Schiller (a half-brother to SA’s Broodmare Of The Year Our Table Mountain and sire of useful SA 3yo Our Mate Art). While not in the same class as Medaglia D’Oro or Kitten’s Joy as a sire, he has four Gr1 winners to his credit, including new sire-son Flying Artie.
In terms of statistics, Medaglia D’Oro sired 7% stakes winners to foals, the same as Kitten’s Joy. Both are sires of sires, with Medaglia D’Oro officially represented by 21 individual sire sons in the Blood-Horse stallion list!
With El Prado & sons in the USA (and Australia) and Galileo in Europe, the Sadler’s Wells sire-line influence is set to last for decades.
