The once beaten Shamardal, the very best sire son of multiple US champion sire, Giant’s Causeway, has had an extraordinary year in 2019, and his success continued unabated at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
When his unbeaten son, Victor Ludorum, won the Gr1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, he became Shamardal’s fifth Gr1 winner for the year. Remarkably, this tally includes a trio of unbeaten two-year-old colts, with Victor Ludorum joining Pinatubo and Earthlight. It is notable that Marieta, runner up in Sunday’s Gr1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, is out of Shamardal’s daughter, Macarella.
Sarah Whitelaw writes that between them, the trio have lifted some of the Northern Hemisphere’s most prestigious juvenile races, with Pinatubo having won all of the Gr1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (by nine lengths), Gr2 Qatar Vintage Stakes and Royal Ascot’s Chesham Stakes, and Earthlight prevailing in all of the Gr1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes, Gr1 Darley Prix Morny, and Gr3 Darley Prix de Cabourg.
These results suggest that Shamardal should be in for, if anything, even more success next year, with the exceptionally good-looking Pinatubo – a likely contender for this month’s Gr1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes, a race previously won by Shamardal – appearing a leading classic contender at this stage.
Now retired Blue Point
Shamardal’s success in 2019 has by no means been confined to two-year-olds, with his now retired son, Blue Point, winning the Gr1 Al Quoz Sprint, Gr1 King’s Stand Stakes (for a second time) and Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes this year, and his daughter, Castle Lady, landing the Gr1 French 1000 Guineas (Poule d’Essai des Pouliches). In total, the sire, who has been covering mares in a private capacity for a number of years, has now been responsible for more than 140 stakes winners, with Shamardal the sire of over 220 black type performers in general.
Lope de Vega (Shamardal – Lady Vettori)
Shamardal’s son, Lope De Vega, who emulated his sire by landing both the French Derby and French 2000 Guineas, has also had an excellent year in 2019, and he promises to build further on his sire’s already impressive legacy. Lope De Vega, whose Gr3 Prix des Chenes winning son, Ecrivain, ran fourth to Victor Ludorum on Sunday, has been responsible for ten group winners this year, with his recent representatives including Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Phoenix of Spain, and Gr1 Prix d’Ispahan hero, Zabeel Prince. Lope De Vega’s champion son, and dual Gr1 winner, Belardo, is set to be represented by his first runners next year.
Another son of Shamardal, former Gr1 Racing Post Trophy victor, Casamento, made headlines in Australia on Sunday when his son, Kings Will Dream, captured the Gr1 TAB Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
While Kings Will Dream was a first Gr1 winner for Casamento, the latter has had a good year in 2019, with the relative of Arc winner, Vaguely Noble, also the sire of Gr2 Oaks d’Italia winner, Lamaire, and multiple group winner, Communique, this year.
Yet another son of the increasingly influential Shamardal, Puissance de Lune, was responsible for his first group winner when his first crop daughter, Moonlight Maid, won the Gr2 TAB Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. From the same female line as Cape based sire, Noble Tune, Puissance De Lune won eight times, from 1400m to 2600m, including the Gr2 VRC Blamey Stakes. Yet another Shamardal son to have made a bright start to his stud career is Amaron, with that Italian Gr1 winner currently third on Germany’s Leading First Crop Sires List.
Pathfork (Distorted Humor – Visions of Clarity)
From just a handful of local representatives in South Africa, Shamardal features as the broodmare sire of Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship winner, Mighty High (Pathfork), with another daughter, Centimes, having won twice from 1000-1100m and having retired to stud.
Shamardal has enjoyed considerable success as a broodmare sire, with his daughters, still relatively young, already responsible for Gr1 winners Awtwaad (Irish 2000 Guineas), Latrobe (Irish Derby), Pretty Pollyanna (Prix Morny) and recent Gr1 Haydock Sprint Cup victor, Hello Youmzain (Kodiac). His latest Gr1 winner Victor Ludorum – one of 25 Gr1 winners sired by Shamardal – is out of Gr3 Prix Cleopatre second, Antiquities, who is out of a daughter of Irish Oaks winner, Helen Street (Troy). The latter is granddam of Shamardal and also dam of Gr1 Dubai World Cup winner and outstanding stallion, Street Cry (Machiavellian), whose grandson, Maxfield (Street Sense), captured Saturday’s Gr1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity by five and a half lengths, and who now looks a potential classic contender for 2020.
Lope De Vega is inbred to Street Cry’s own sire, Machiavellian, while Shamardal’s high-class daughter, Lucida, whose wins included the Gr2 Rockfel Stakes, is out of a daughter of Street Cry himself.
With a plethora of sons yet to stand at stud, and some exceptionally well related daughters still to produce foals, Shamardal’s legacy looks set to grow even further in coming years and he looks poised to play an important role in carrying the Storm Cat male line further.
