American Pharoah is an example of Sex Appeal’s influence in top modern Thb bloodlines
Buckpasser’s unraced daughter, Sex Appeal, has made her mark on the breed in no uncertain terms and this year is to be found in the pedigrees of top thoroughbreds ranging from US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) and Mecca’s Angel (Dark Angel), winner of Friday’s Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes over 1000m. Sex Appeal’s name is also found in the pedigree of one of Ireland’s most exciting young stallions, in the form of five time Gr1 winner Canford Cliffs (Tagula).
The success that Sex Appeal’s sons and daughters have enjoyed at stud throughout the world has meant that it is by no means uncommon these days to see inbreeding to this great matriarch. Among the outstanding gallopers inbred to Sex Appeal are the Gr1 winners, Chinchon (Maju), Grace Hall (Empire Maker) and Ramonti (Martino Alonso).
Northern Guest
Northern Guest (Northern Dancer – Sex Appeal)
Sex Appeal, famous as the dam of European champions El Gran Senor and Try My Best, is also the dam of the latter’s full brother Northern Guest (Northern Dancer), a former South African champion and broodmare sire par excellence. Sire of the Met winners Angus and Imperious Sue, Northern Guest also sired the outstanding sprint champion Senor Santa.
Northern Guest’s local legacy looks set to continue unabated in the coming years, with his name featuring in the pedigree of the well performed and well supported young stallions Capetown Noir (Western Winter), Pomodoro (who is by Jet Master out of Northern Guest’s Fillies Guineas winning daughter Golden Apple) and Variety Club (Var), to name but three. He is also broodmare sire of last season’s Gr1 Vodacom Durban July winner, Power King, US Gr1 winner, Crimson Palace (Elliodor) and Equus Champions In The Fast Lane (Jet Master) and J J The Jet Plane (Jet Master).
El Gran Senor
While Northern Guest enjoyed plenty of success at stud in South Africa, it was a matter of what if in the case of his champion brother El Gran Senor, who suffered well documented fertility problems. Nonetheless, the once defeated 2000 Guineas winner more than made his mark on the breed, and his statistics strongly suggest that El Gran Senor would have been a truly great sire had nature been kinder. His 55 black type winners came from just 399 live foals, and gave him the impressive statistic of 14% stakes winners to foals. Among his best performers were 2000 Guineas winner, Rodrigo De Triano, champion sprinter, Lit De Justice, and broodmare extraordinaire, Toussaud (dam of Gr1 winners, Chester House, Chiselling and Honest Lady and outstanding sire, Empire Maker – grandsire of American Pharoah). The ill-fated Chester House did well in a brief innings at stud, and his Gr1 Metropolitan Handicap winning son Divine Park is the sire of unbeaten US star filly, Lady Eli.
Another of his sons, the Gr1 placed Cordoba, is the sire of the recently crowned Equus Broodmare Of The Year, Si Senorita as well as former star sprinter, Cordocelli.
Try My Best
Try My Best (Northern Dancer – Sex Appeal)
Interestingly, though, while El Gran Senor was his dam’s best racehorse and sire, it was his full brother, Try My Best, who has really kept this branch of the wonderful Best In Show family alive and kicking in the modern thoroughbred.
Twice Champion Sire in Italy, Try My Best was not a great sire, but has left behind a thriving male line, thanks to his sons, Last Tycoon and Waajib. The former won the Gr1 Breeders Cup Mile at the rewarding odds of 36-1, before going on to a highly successful stud career. Last Tycoon, who headed the General Sires List in Australia, left behind a host of outstanding performers in both hemispheres, including the Gr1 winners Bigstone, Ezzoud, Lost World, Mahogany, Tracy’s Element and Tycoon Lil. He also sired Gr1 St James Palace Stakes winner Marju, who went on to become a successful sire in Europe, his top performers including champion Soviet Song, French Oaks winner Sil Sila, Irish 1000 Guineas victress Bethrah, and Gr1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Lightening Pearl.
Marju, the broodmare sire of the above mentioned Canford Cliffs, is also the sire of the Gr1 Premio Roma runner up Martino Alonso, sire of multiple Gr1 winning miler Ramonti and this season’s Gr2 Derby Italiano winner, Goldstream.
Last Tycoon also sired the now deceased O’Reilly, a former Horse Of The Year who headed the New Zealand Sires Log on three occasions and left behind such Gr1 winners as Master O’Reilly, Sacred Falls, Shamexpress and The Jewel. He is also broodmare sire of useful South African Mitraad, winner of the Listed Secretariat Stakes.
Waajib
Try My Best’s son Waajib, who won the Gr2 Queen Anne Stakes under South African rider Michael Roberts, was an ordinary sire, but left his mark on the breed through the deeds of son, Royal Applause. Winner of the Gr1 Middle Park Stakes at two, Royal Applause trained on well to land the Gr1 Haydock Sprint Cup at four, before going on to establish himself as a successful sire of speedy and precocious thoroughbreds. His progeny include Gr1 American Oaks winner Ticker Tape, and the pattern race winners Finjaan, Please Sing, Whatsthescript and Acclamation. The latter has already made his mark as a sire of sires through successful young sire Equiano and leading sprint sire Dark Angel, who himself won the Gr1 Middle Park Stakes and retired to stud at three. Dark Angel, whose offspring include the Gr1 winning speedballs Lethal Force and Mecca’s Angel, has been represented by no fewer than 13 black type winners in 2015.
