Northern Dancer line stallions once again dominate the Leading First Crop Sires in Britain list for 2017.
Northern Dancer holds on to win the 1964 Kentucky Derby
Nine of the top ten are descended directly from the 1964 Kentucky Derby winner, with the sole sire not to do so, Dabirsim (Hat Trick), still carrying a line of Northern Dancer in his pedigree through his broodmare sire, Royal Academy.
An even more telling sign of Northern Dancer dominance today can be seen in the fact that six of the top ten leading first crop sires on the GB list are inbred to that diminutive bay. All of Society Rock, Havana Gold, Lethal Force (Dark Angel), Declaration Of War (War Front), Epaulette (Commands) and Red Jazz (Johannesburg) carry at least two strains of Northern Dancer in their pedigree.
Inbreeding to the great stallion has previously resulted in such outstanding sires as Oasis Dream (Green Desert), Dubawi (Dubai Millennium), Dansili (Danehill), Frankel (Galileo), Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) and Teofilo (sire of Havana Gold), as well as Rock Of Gibraltar (sire of Society Rock).
Havana Gold and Lethal Force (second and third leading first crop sires respectively) are both out of mares by Green Desert stallion, Desert Style.
Short-lived Sprint Star – Society Rock
The Leading First Crop Sires in Britain list, according to Arion.co.nz, is headed by short lived sprint star Society Rock.
One of 15 Gr1 winners for Horse Of The Year, Rock Of Gibraltar, Society Rock’s first crop of runners this season have earned over £460 000 – nearly double the total of runner up, and hugely promising Teofilo son, Havana Gold. Society Rock was also the first of this bunch of young stallions represented by a Gr1 winner, when his son, Unfortunately, won the Gr1 Prix Morny.
Unfortunately, who also landed the Gr2 Prix Robert Papin, has earned more than £250 000 from his seven outings to date and he will stand at the Cheveley Park Stud when he retires.
Another by the sire, Tangled, won the Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes, to claim a rich first prize of £184 350. According to Arion, Society Rock’s British 2yos this season include 23 winners of 32 individual races with Tangled – also a close second in the Gr3 Horris Hill Stakes- his sire’s leading British representative. Society Rock died as a result of laminitis, back in 2016.
One of the very best sons of Rock Of Gibraltar, Society Rock was a top class sprinter, who earned more than £1 000 000 in prize money. Beaten two lengths by Black Caviar in the 2015 Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, he scored all six career wins over 1200 metres. Society Rock’s career highlights included wins in the 2012 Gr1 Betfred Sprint Cup, the 2011 Gr1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (beating Star Witness and Bated Breath) and 2013 Gr2 Duke Of York Stakes. To date, he is Rock Of Gibraltar’s top earning son in Britain.
One of the interesting features of Society Rock’s pedigree is that he is inbred to the ubiquitous Danzig, with Society Rock being sired by a grandson of Danzig and produced by a mare by Key Of Luck (another grandson of Danzig).
Inbreeding to Danzig has produced a plethora of Gr1 winners, with the list on the increase. This pattern can also be found in the pedigrees of successful sire, Bushranger (Myboycharlie), and promising young Australian sire, All Too Hard (Casino Prince).
Inbreeding to the unbeaten Danzig, who must surely rate as one of history’s most influential stallions, has also resulted in Gr1 winners Barney Roy (Excelebration), Catchy (Fastnet Rock), Cracksman (Frankel) and Humidor (Teofilo) – as well as Sunday’s Hong Kong Sprint winner, Mr Stunning (Exceed And Excel).
Mr Stunning wins the Hong Kong Sprint on Sunday
Havana Gold, second on GB’s leading first crop sires list, is another inbred to Danzig. With numerous descendants of Danzig yet to retire to stud, thanks to the likes of Danehill and his sire sons, War Front, Green Desert and his sire sons, and Hard Spun, this list looks sure to grow still further in future.
However, the Danzig connection is not the only interesting feature of Society Rock’s pedigree. The dual Gr1 winner is out of High Society, winner of Ireland’s Rochestown Stakes and the US’ La Habra Stakes. Society Rock is the only stakes winner produced by High Society, but is one of two Gr1 Diamond (Golden) Jubilee Stakes winners produced by daughters of Key Of Luck, with Darley sire, Slade Power (produced by Key Of Luck mare Girl Power), having won the Jubilee in 2014. Society Rock’s second and third dams never won a race, and he is the only Gr1 winner produced in this family in recent generations.
He hails from the same family as Rose Prince, the grandsire of multiple champion sire and broodmare sire Princequillo, whose daughters produced the likes of Secretariat, Mill Reef and Kris S.
