Last week’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book1 sales-topper is a colt with a truly exceptional pedigree.
The 2022 big one! The Frankel colt ex So Mi Dar (Dubawi) (Pic – Tattersalls)
Knocked down to Godolphin for 2.8 million guineas, the Frankel colt, bred on the same Frankel/Dubawi cross as Gr1 winners Adayar, Dream Castle and Homeless Songs, is the highest priced yearling sold anywhere in the world in 2022.
One of three yearlings by Frankel to fetch 2 000 000 guineas or more at the Book 1 Sale, the sales topping colt is out of the top-class racemare So Mi Dar (Dubawi). A full-sister to champion Too Darn Hot and Gr2 Middleton Stakes queen Lah Ti Dar, So Mi Dar showed plenty of ability in her racing career, winning four of her seven starts and running out a four length winner of the 2016 Gr3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes and finishing a close up third in the same year’s G1 Prix de l’Opera.
The impeccably bred So Mi Dar, whose Gr1 Prix Vermeille winning granddam Darara is a half-sister to champion sire and outstanding broodmare sire Darshaan (Shirley Heights), is out of a more accomplished racemare in the form of Dar Re Mi (whose sire Singspiel was a half-brother to successful South African stallion Rakeen and who sired Ridgemont Highlands’ G1 winning sire Potala Palace).
Dar Re Mi proved something of a globetrotter, like Singspiel, with Dar Re Mi capturing Gr1 races in Britain, Ireland and Dubai. Dar Re Mi was also controversially disqualified from first place when finishing first in the 2009 Gr1 Prix Vermeille when she was eventually placed fifth.
Dar Re Mi, a Gr1 winner and Gr1 producer out of a Gr1 winning daughter of the influential mare Delsy, is directly descended in female line from French 1000 Guineas winner Banshee (granddam of outstanding sire Tourbillon), and this is also the female line of such breed shaping stallions as Mr Prospector and Seattle Slew.
This is also family with ties to the South African stud book. Ridgemont Highlands’ well performed successful broodmare Crimson Blossom (Danehill Dancer) is a member of this outstanding family.
Crimson Blossom’s Dabtiya is a Shirley Heights’ three-parts sister to the aforementioned Darshaan, with Crimson Blossom’s fourth dam being none other than Delsy.
Winner of seven races including the 2007 Gr3 Final Fling Stakes, Crimson Blossom did her bit to uphold family honour by producing Gr3 Gold Cup/Gr3 Gold Vase winner Dynasty’s Blossom (Dynasty) as well as Listed East Cape Guineas winner Brilliant Crimson (Trippi).
However, Crimson Blossom is not the only South African mare with ties to the recent pricey buy.
Selkirk mare Darisha, whose granddam was none other than Delsey, left behind six winners including the speedy Darwin. That daughter of National Assembly finished runner up in all of the Listed Bauhinia Handicap, Listed Umngeni Handicap and Listed Gardenia Handicap, while Darwin’s half-sister Dolomiti, dam of winners Val Gardena, Permesso Avanti and Trentinno, won four times and finishing runner up in the Gr3 Magnolia Handicap.
