Thirty five years ago this year, one of history’s greatest sires, Sadler’s Wells, was born – on April 11 to be exact. Champion sire in GB/Ireland on 14 occasions, Sadler’s Wells left behind an astonishing 330 stakes winners and his offspring won all the English classic races as well as many of the world’s other top features, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Sadler’s Wells
The son of Northern Dancer, and three parts brother to another sire legend in Nureyev, Sadler’s Wells and his descendants have exerted a remarkable influence on the Breeders’ Cup –with Sadler’s Wells himself the sire of five Breeders Cup winners, including dual Turf hero, High Chaparral.
He is also the broodmare sire of last year’s Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, Hit It A Bomb, (War Front), Silic (Sillery) and dual Turf winner, Conduit (Dalakhani).
Sadler’s Wells, whose grandson Dynasty had a stakes double (A Time To Dream and Olma) this past weekend, has not only exerted a tremendous influence through his sire sons but is also broodmare sire of no fewer than 315 stakes winners, and counting.
Sadler’s Wells has wrapped up a staggering 16 leading Broodmare Sire titles, with his successes coming in five different countries.
So what does the future hold for this great male line?
In Europe, Galileo looks set to continue the male line with his proven sire sons including the likes of red hot sire Teofilo and proven classic sire New Approach (whose son, Dawn Approach, is standing in Ireland for €35 000). Galileo also has a plethora of unproven stallion sons in the wings, including the undefeated legend, Frankel, whose first crop race in 2016.
Australia wins the 2014 Investec Derby
Other star sons of Galileo yet to be represented on the racecourse include Ouija Board’s champion son, Australia, and Breeders’ Cup Turf hero, Magician.
In North America, Sadler’s Wells grandsons include the top class sires Kitten’s Joy and Medaglia D’Oro (both by Sadler’s Wells former US champion sire son, El Prado), both of whom already have a number of sire sons representing them at stud.
Kitten’s Joy has already wrapped up one US general sires title (2013) and his growing number of sons at stud includes G1 Secretariat Stakes winner, Admiral Kitten, G1 Arlington Million winner, Real Solution and multiple graded stakes winner, Csaba.
Medaglia D’Oro, whose top offspring include champion fillies, Rachel Alexandra and Songbird, is an extremely versatile sire, whose offspring vary from Kentucky Oaks winners to Golden Slipper winners, with no fewer than 18 sire sons registered in the 2016 Blood Horse stallion register, and this number could yet grow substantially over the coming seasons.
His top class son, Mshawish, (a grade one winner on both dirt and turf) will retire to Taylor Made in 2016 and looks another flag bearer for this powerful male line in North America.
Another son of El Prado, Artie Schiller, (a half brother to the dam of current SA star Silver Mountain) has enjoyed a good season with his 2yos in Australia, with his runners including group winners, Good Standing and Flying Artie, with the latter among the leading fancies for the world’s richest 2yo race, the G1 Golden Slipper.
While his sons have not always been popular “Down Under”, there can be no denying that the Sadler’s Wells male line has made a considerable impact in both Australia and New Zealand. Sadler’s Wells line descendants have won both the G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Melbourne Cup, and include such stars as So You Think, Dundeel, and Vancouver.
The sadly now deceased High Chaparral also did much to enhance this sire line’s standing in the Southern Hemisphere, leaving behind seven G1 winners.
High Chaparral’s great son, So You Think, a ten time G1 winner in two hemispheres, has made a promising start to his stud career, with his early 2yo first crop winners including G2 winner Gold Rush and the stakes placed Conscious, and surely the best is yet to come for the dual G1 Cox Plate winner. Shuttle sire, Medaglia D’Oro, is another Sadler’s Wells line horse whose progeny have done well in Australasia, with his progeny including G1 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver and current group winning 2yos Astern and Tessera.
In New Zealand, Cambridge Park’s Tavistock, a son of Sadler’s Wells’ great son Montjeu, is swiftly building a reputation as a genuine classic sire. The former champion sprinter has sired G1 winners in each of his first two crops to race and he could well ensure the Sadler’s Wells line remains a factor in Australasia.
Montjeu, sire of a former champion sire in Motivator, is also the sire of the Coolmore based Camelot, whose first foals sold up to €255 000.
Dynasty – top of the tree
In South Africa, the Sadler’s Wells male line looks secure for the time being, with his grandsons, Dynasty and Elusive Fort, both firing on all cylinders. Dynasty in particular looks set to continue this legacy with sons Jackson, Irish Flame, Futura, and Legislate all either at stud or destined for stud next season.
The legacy of Sadler’s Wells’ son, Fort Wood, could well yet grow further in this country –he is also damsire of champion and young sire, Capetown Noir, while he is the damsire of promising young Australian based sire, Pluck (More Than Ready).
Galileo is represented by a growing number of sire sons in South Africa, with the list including Kingsbarns, Global View and The Assayer, while High Chaparral’s son, Golden Sword, has his first crop of runners this season.
Sadler’s Wells is also damsire of champion racemare, Divine Proportions, whose Gr3 winning son, Eightfold Path, (Giant’s Causeway) has his first yearlings on sale in South Africa this year, and his champion grandson, Singspiel, has two sons at stud in South Africa – Lateral and Potala Palace.
Sadler’s Wells is also the broodmare sire of former Irish Champion and Gr1 winner, Pathfork (Distorted Humor), who has made such a promising start to his stud career and who is the sire of Saturday’s impressive debut winner, South Side.
