While he may have died in 1988, the great sire Roberto (Hail To Reason) continues to make his mark throughout the world.
An exceptional sire, and sire of sires, himself, Roberto’s name can also be found in the pedigree of such outstanding sires as Dubawi (Dubai Millennium), Dansili (Danehill), Kitten’s Joy (El Prado), and Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) – to name but three.
Al Mufti
Roberto, whose sire sons included such top class stallions as Kris S, Silver Hawk, Dynaformer, Al Mufti and Red Ransom, has once again played a role in the pedigrees of some of the world’s top racehorses of 2016.
North America
Arch (a grandson of Roberto) is broodmare sire of one of North America’s hottest young sires in the form of Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie).
Nyquist – champion 2yo and Kentucky Derby star
The sire of three Gr1 winners in his first crop (including champion 2yo and subsequent Gr1 Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist), Uncle Mo looks to have another potential star for 2017, in the form of recent Gr2 Remsen Stakes winner Mo Town.
Uncle Mo (who will cover the great mare Beholder in 2017) will stand for a stud fee of $150 000 next year.
Arch’s sire Kris S, an outstanding sire and broodmare sire, is also damsire of 2016 G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Time And Motion (Tapit) –past notable stars produced by Kris S mares include none other than US Horse Of The Year Zenyatta (Street Cry) –who lost but once in her career and fellow Breeders’ Cup winners Sweet Catomine (Storm Cat), Life Is Sweet (Storm Cat), and War Chant (Danzig).
Another exceptional sire son of Roberto was Dynaformer –whose top runners included the ill-fated Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.
While the latter died before ever covering a mare, Dynaformer does look to have left behind a high class sire son in the form of Temple City. The latter recently enjoyed a Gr1 double when his son Annals Of Time and daughter Miss Temple City won the Gr1 Hollywood Derby and Gr1 Matriarch Stakes respectively.
The Roberto sire Lear Fan also continues to exert a major influence in the USA –he is broodmare sire of former champion sire Kitten’s Joy, sire this year of Gr1 Coral Eclipse winner Hawkbill as well as brilliant Breeders’ Cup winner Oscar Performance.
Another example of the Roberto influence to be found in the USA can be seen in the form of one of the top 3yos of 2016-Brody’s Cause (Giant’s Causeway).
Winner of both the Gr1 Breeders’ Futurity and G1 Blue Grass Stakes, Brody’s Cause, who has since been retired to Spendthrift Stud, is one of large number of top class thoroughbreds who are inbred to Roberto. Others include US champion Big Blue Kitten (Kitten’s Joy), classic winner Danish Dynaformer (Dynaformer), the aforementioned Hawkbill, Gr1 Prix Ganay winning sire Planteur (Danehill Dancer), champion and Gr1 Investec Oaks winner Snow Fairy (Intikhab) and Gr1 Gold Cup hero Rite Of Passage (Giant’s Causeway).
France
Red Ransom (Roberto) is the sire of Intikhab- whose maternal granddaughter Found (Galileo) lifted the 2016 Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The outstanding Found
Subsequently retired, Found won Gr1 races at two, three and four, with her other major success coming in last year’s Gr1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. (Intikhab is also broodmare sire of South African champion Igugu (Galileo) –whose half sister Ngaga (Fastnet Rock) is currently unbeaten in two starts to date.
Australia
All American (a son of Roberto’s outstanding sire Red Ransom) is responsible for this year’s brilliant filly Yankee Rose. The latter, who famously cost just AUS$10 000 as a yearling, made history in 2016 when she became the first filly ever to lift the Gr1 Spring Champion Stakes.
South Africa
Former champion sire Captain Al (by the Roberto sire Al Mufti) continues to feature as one of the country’s elite sires this year.
The eight times champion sire of 2yos, and sire of last season’s Equus Champions Always In Charge and Cloth Of Cloud, has made a terrific start to the 2016-2017 season, and his runners have dominated recent Cape feature races. (Captain Al sired 1-3 finishers in the recent Gr2 World Sports Betting Merchants, while daughters Jo’s Bond and Carry On Alice ran 1-2 in Saturday’s Gr2 CTS Southern Cross Stakes).
Another extremely exciting sire from this sire line at stud in South Africa is Philanthropist (Kris S). The strapping chestnut (represented by a double at Kenilworth on Saturday) has made considerable waves with his first crop of 3yos this season including the impressive graded winners She’s A Giver and Singapore Sling, and Philanthropist looks an exciting addition to the local sire band. (Interestingly, the ill-fated Summerhill sire Await The Dawn (Giant’s Causeway) was inbred to Roberto).
Marchfield (A P Indy – Pico Teneriffe)
Other stallions with a first SA crop of 2yo’s are Marchfield (AP Indy), whose dam is by Red Ransom, and Twice Over, whose sire Observatory is out of a Roberto mare.
One of Marchfield’s 2yo daughters is out of Kitty Cat, a mare inbred to Roberto.
The name of Roberto can also be found in the pedigree of Ideal World (Kingmambo) –sire of last season’s Equus Champion Smart Call.
Japan
Winner of Sunday’s Gr1 The Longines Hong Kong Cup, Japanese superstar Maurice (Screen Hero) is another outstanding runner descended in male line from Roberto.
Maurice – now retired to stud
Now retired to stud, his win on Sunday was Maurice’s sixth at Gr1 level, with his previous top level wins having included the Gr1 Hong Kong Mile, G1 Yasuda Kinen, Gr1 Tenno Sho and G1 Mile Championship.
The former Horse Of The Year is by Gr1 Japan Cup winner Screen Hero –a grandson of the Roberto son Silver Hawk.
Roberto’s sire sons Brian’s Time and Real Shadai (Leading Sire in Japan in 1993) both enjoyed marked success at stud in Japan, and it will be interesting to see if the brilliant Maurice can do the same.
