Giant’s Causeway – far and away Storm Cat’s best sire son is responsible for over 130 stakes winners and 22 G1 winners
When Florida Derby runner up Noble Causeway produced unbeaten Gr3 Gotham Stakes winner Samraat, in his third crop, he became the sixth son of leading sire Giant’s Causeway to produce an important graded stakes winner.
Giant’s Causeway’s best son, to date, is Shamardal, whose fifth plus stakes winners include 10 Gr1 winners, as well as recent UAE 1000/Oaks winner Ihtimal, who looks as if she could well add further to her sire’s Gr1 score sheet. Sharmadal, in turn, is the sire of popular young sire Lope De Vega, a dual French classic winner, whose first crop race this year.
Another highly successful son of Giant’s Causeway is the top-class 2yo First Samurai. Standing at Claiborne, First Samurai is the sire of recent Gr1 Donn Handicap winner Lea, as well as fellow Gr1 winners Executiveprivilege and Justin Phillip (himself now at stud). Sire of 17 stakes winners (at a more than respectable 6% SW to foals), First Samurai is making a name for himself as a well above average stallion.
Unbeaten 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand was represented by no fewer than 16 stakes winners during 2013, including G1 winner Shamalgan, and classy 2yo filly Sandiva.
Another son of the sire, Amani, is the sire of exceptional Chilean filly Amani, while fellow Giant’s Causeway son Intense Focus produced G1 Middle Park Stakes hero Astaire from his first crop of 2yos in 2013. He ended up as Britain’s third leading first crop sire last season, and is clearly a promising young sire of the future.
Giant’s Causeway, whose oldest sons are now 13 years old, has built up a remarkable resume for a 17 year old stallion. Not only is the Iron Horse (far and away Storm Cat’s best sire son) an outstanding sire (he is responsible for over 130 stakes winners – and 22 G1 winners), Giant’s Causeway is building a fine record as a sire of sires, and broodmare sire.
Giant’s Causeway is already the broodmare sire of stakes winners, including champion Soft Falling Rain, as well as G1 winners Escado, Beauty Parlour and Verrazano. A truly great sire, Giant’s Causeway is well represented in South Africa, by the exceptionally well bred and talented, Await The Dawn.
Rich Mans Gold mares come good
Whistle Stop
Until this season, daughters of Rich Man’s Gold had done little at stud. Prior to the 2013-2014 racing season, mares by the late RMG had produced just one stakes winner in South Africa, Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup winner Wagner.
However, this season has seen the number of stakes winners produced by Rich Man’s Gold mares quadruple. The son of Forty Niner is the broodmare sire of all of Whistle Stop (Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes), Athina (Gr3 Three Troika Stakes), and Louis The King.
The latter made it a memorable one for his maternal broodmare sire when winning Saturday’s R1 000 000 Gr2 Betting World Guineas. The same day, Athina (out of RMG mare The Heiress) ran third in the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Fillies Guineas.
To date, Wagner is the sole top flight level winner produced by a daughter of Rich Man’s Gold, but judging by the likes of Louis The King and Athina he is unlikely to be the last. It is interesting to note that both Wagner (Tiger Ridge) and Louis The King (Black Minnaloushe) are both by Storm Cat stallions.
Forty Niner sire sons are certainly doing well as broodmare sires. Coronado’s Quest, a disappointing stallion himself, is the damsire of G1 winners Kodiak Kowboy (Champion Sprinter), Mani Bhavan (Spinaway Stakes) and Boys At Tosconova (Hopeful Stakes), Roar is the broodmare sire of US Horse Of The Year Rachel Alexandra, while Forty Niner’s greatest sire son, Distorted Humor, is the broodmare sire of 25 stakes winners to date (including Gr1 winning filly Book Review) – a total likely to increase over the coming years.
Death Of Icelander
Undefeated Icelander died last week at the Yellow Star Stud. The son of Kris was 28 years old at the time of his death, and had covered just one mare last year.
The mare subsequently tested in foal to the stallion, whose current small crop of 2yos include the useful Straw Man who was second in his first two outings.
Icelander was never beaten on the racetrack. Raced in Britain and South Africa, Icelander won all four of his starts in an all too brief racing career. He won his sole start in South Africa in convincing fashion, skating home to win a B Division Handicap by 3.25 lengths over subsequent G1 Gold Bowl winner Eaton Lad. Injury however curtailed Icelander’s career and he was retired to stud.
A beautifully bred horse, Icelander was a son of champion miler Kris, who won 14 of his 16 outings on the track. Retired to stud, Kris became champion sire in the UK in 1985 and went on to sire 80 stakes winners. His offspring included the likes of Flash Of Steel (Irish 2000 Guineas), Unite (Epsom Oaks), Common Grounds (Champion 2YO), Balisada (Coronation Stakes), Sure Blade (St James Palace Stakes), and Single Empire (Derby Italiano).
Kris is also the broodmare sire of leading sire Invincible Spirit and top-class South African miler Noordhoek Flyer, whose first crop are yearlings this season.
Icelander was a full-brother to Kris’ greatest daughter, Oh So Sharp. Unbeaten at two, Oh So Sharp won the fillies Triple Crown in 1985 – winning all of the 1000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks and St Leger in her classic year. The pair are out of Graustark mare Oh So Fair – a direct descendant of one of history’s greatest and most influential mares – Mumtaz Mahal.
Icelander’s most successful runners were high-class stayer Boston Blues (G2 Racing Association Hcp), and Winter Derby hero Icelandic Run.
