Sadler’s Wells – painting by Susan Crawford
Ever since he won the 1984 Irish 2000 Guineas, beating subsequent Epsom Derby hero, Secreto, Sadler’s Wells has made his mark on major classic races. At stud, Sadler’s Wells’ offspring won every English classic, with his tally including a pair of Epsom Derby winners in Galileo and High Chaparral, both of whom went on to become hugely successful sires.
Sadler’s Wells’ Derby domination can be in no doubt – remarkably, of the last eleven Epsom Derby winners, eight carry Sadler’s Wells in their pedigree. Between them, his great sons, Galileo and Montjeu, have sired seven Investec Derby winners, and, with Galileo seemingly still going strong, this total can yet rise significantly. However, sometimes overlooked is the tremendous impact this great stallion has had on 1600m classics the world over.
Classic influence
The first three 2015 Guineas finishers carried Sadler’s Wells (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
Tellingly perhaps, Sadler’s Wells can be found in the pedigrees of the first three horses home in Saturday’s Gr1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas – Noah From Goa (out of a Fort Wood mare), Brazuca (by Teofilo), and Nassa (by Fort Wood’s son, Dynasty). In fact, at least seven of the 16 runners in Saturday’s R1 000 000 race bear Sadler’s Wells in their pedigrees.
Sadler’s Wells himself sired 3 English 2000 Guineas winners – Entrepreneur (1997), King Of Kings (1998) and Refuse To Bend (2003), while another son, Barathea, ran second to the brilliant Zafonic (Gone West) in the race in 1993. Sadler’s Wells is also broodmare sire of 2000 Guineas winner, Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo).
His daughter, Salsabil, added further lustre to her sire’s record of top flight 1600m wins when she landed the 1000 Guineas, before going on to win both the Epsom Oaks and Irish Derby.
English Guineas
Frankel
Remarkably, Sadler’s Wells’ name can be found in the past five English 2000 Guineas winners – Frankel (by Galileo), Camelot (by Montjeu), Dawn Approach (by Galileo’s son New Approach), Night Of Thunder (out of a Galileo mare), and Gleneagles (by Galileo). The late Coolmore colossus also had a pair of Irish 2000 Guineas winners – Barathea (1993) and Saffron Walden (1999), while Henrythenavigator went on to add the Irish classic to his English Guineas win. Sadler’s Wells is broodmare sire of French 2000 Guineas hero, American Post (Bering), as well as French 1000 Guineas heroine Musical Chimes (In Excess).
Irish Guineas
The son of Northern Dancer has also exerted a remarkable influence on the Irish 1000 Guineas won by his own daughters, Imagine, Gossamer and Yesterday in three consecutive years (from 2001 to 2003). When Gossamer won her race she defeated a pair of Sadler’s Wells sired fillies (Quarter Moon, Starborne) into second and third places.
Sadler’s Wells can be found in the pedigrees of three of the last five Irish 1000 Guineas winners – who are either by Galileo or the latter’s son, Teofilo. To date Galileo has 3 winners of the race to his credit – Nighttime, Misty For Me and Marvellous.
Galileo
Galileo
His sire’s greatest sire son, Galileo has also made quite an impression in 1600m classics. The former dual Derby winner to date has three Irish 2000 Guineas winning sons (Roderic O’Connor, Magician, Gleneagles), and two 2000 Guineas winners (Frankel, Gleneagles). He is also broodmare sire of Night Of Thunder.
Galileo is also the sire of 2011 French 1000 Guineas winner, Golden Lilac, and it comes as no surprise surely to see his offspring feature prominently in the betting for some of next year’s major European Guineas. His daughters, Minding and Ballydoyle, already winners of three Gr1 races between them, currently dominate the betting for the Qipco 1000 Guineas.
Fort Wood
Fort Wood
In South Africa, Sadler’s Wells’ greatest son, Fort Wood, has had a stunning influence on the Cape Guineas. Not only is the late former champion responsible for one of the race’s greatest winners in Horse Chestnut, with another son Celtic Grove finishing second in 2001, but Fort Wood is broodmare sire of both 2012 hero Capetown Noir (Western Winter) and Saturday’s gallant winner, Noah From Goa (Tiger Ridge).
Dynasty
Dynasty
Fort Wood’s son, Dynasty, (surprisingly beaten into second place in the Cape Guineas of 2003), has also made his mark on the Cape Guineas. The sire of Saturday’s third place finisher, Nassa, Dynasty is also sire of Act Of War, who was victorious in the race in 2014.
Fort Wood’s impact in the Guineas has not been restricted to the Cape version. Timber Country’s Grand Prix de Paris winning half brother has such major local Guineas winners as Celtic Grove (SA Guineas), Dog Rose (Gauteng Fillies Guineas), Dunsinane (KZN Guineas), Dynasty (SA Guineas), Fort Defiance (Newmarket Guineas), Heir Apparent (SA Guineas), Hunting Tower (Gauteng Guineas), Rememberance (Gauteng Fillies Guineas) and Shadow Dancing (Cape Fillies Guineas), to his credit.
SA Guineas
Remarkably, sons of Fort Wood won the SA Guineas (subsequently re-named KZN Guineas when surprisingly downgraded) four times in five years – 2001 (Celtic Grove), 2003 (Dynasty), 2004 (Heir Apparent) and 2005 (Dunsinane).
Another son of the sire, Zanzamar, finished second to Splash Point (Street Cry) in the 2011 Gr3 UAE 2000 Guineas.
Two other sons of Sadler’s Wells have had significant Guineas winners in this country – Casey Tibbs siring ill-fated Big City Life (KRA Guineas), while former Prix Royal-Oak winner, Braashee, left behind Indiscreet Fantasy, winner of the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas.
