BRED and raced by Skara Glen Stables, more recently associated with the likes of Jazil and Rags To Riches, the John Gosden-trained Shastye was a late developer, taking until her fourth start in October of her three-year-old year to run out a seven-length winner of a 13-furlong maiden at Lingfield.

Her starting price of 10/1 said much about her form until then, and she made one more start that year, tackling a listed race in which she disappointed. However, as a Danehill (Danzig) half-sister at the time to a pair of Group 1 winners in Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Sagamix (Linamix) and Sagacity (Highest Honor), the potential value of some added blacktype proved irresistible and she remained in training at four.

Winner first time out that year, Shastye again was pitched in to stakes company and went down fighting, running second in a listed race over a mile and a half at Pontefract, beaten just a neck. She made no real show in a pair of subsequent runs.

What might not have been known at the time of her best effort was that she was covered three months earlier by Pivotal and was in foal.

In 2005 the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Pivotal, a son of Polar Falcon (Nureyev), was taking the breeding and racing world by storm. His first crop was born in 1998 and he was already sire of champion sprinter and fellow Nunthorpe Stakes winner Kyllachy, multiple Grade 1 winning mares Golden Apples and Megahertz, the Group 1 winning sprinter Somnus, the German classic winner Silvester Lady and Group 1 winner Chorist. That year his daughters Peeress and Saoire also became Group 1 winners.

Shastye was sent to the Tattersalls December Sale later that year and John Warren signed the purchase slip for her at 625,000gns. It was the fifth-highest price paid for an in-foal mare at the sale in 2005, and three of the five were in foal to Pivotal. Her price was only eclipsed by Moments Of Joy, that mare’s daughter My Emma, Moonlight Dance and Madhya.

The Pivotal colt Shastye was carrying died at the age of two, never having raced. He was followed two years later by a Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) filly and she went to stud, unraced, and is the dam of last year’s listed-placed filly Shaherezada (Dutch Art). With such a stuttering start to Shastye’s stud career, the investment by Newsells Park Stud of 625,000gns was looking less than inspired perhaps.

It was another two years before Shastye had her next foal, a daughter by Galileo (Sadler’s Wells).

This was in 2010 and the filly was Secret Gesture. Unsold at 230,000gns as a yearling, she raced for Newsells Park until just before her bid for the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom, when Qatar Racing bought into her. She just failed to land the classic but the investment in her reaped rewards and she raced until the age of five, gaining her most important success in 2005 in the Group 2 Middleton Park Stakes at York.

Shastye was Group and Grade 1 placed in England, Germany, France and the USA and, as a six-year-old, sold for $3.5 million at Keeneland carrying to War Front (Danzig). Now in the ownership of Godolphin, the filly she was carrying was named Silent Wave and she won on her juvenile debut this year before finishing eighth in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Secret Gesture was followed a year later by Maurus (Medicean) and he sold for €320,000 at Deauville as a yearling. Sent to Australia, his six victories included a listed race over 10 and a half furlongs and he has been placed in at least six group races.

With the emergence of Secret Gesture, there was certain to be plenty of interest in her full-brother when he appeared in the sale ring in 2013. Selling for a cool 3,600,000gns to MV Magnier, the subsequently named Sir Isaac Newton (Galileo) failed to recoup the massive investment, though he won a Group 3 at the Curragh and a listed race at Royal Ascot.

Offspring of Shastye have continued to make an impact at the sales, the placed Secret Soul (Street Cry) selling for 800,000gns, and the unraced four-year-old Secret Gaze (Galileo) realising 1,350,000gns as a yearling. Then along came Japan (Galileo) and he cost MV Magnier 1,300,000gns two years ago. This time the investment has reaped major dividends.

A Group 2 Beresford Stakes winner at two, Japan was placed in the Group 1 Derby at Epsom as a prelude to winning the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. Now the cherry has been put on the cake with his success last weekend in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, and one feels that his racing journey has still only just begun.

Belief

Such is the belief that Coolmore and partners have in the family that MV Magnier returned to the Newmarket arena last October and paid 3,400,000gns for Japan’s, Sir Isaac Newtown’s and Secret Gesture’s full-brother, the as yet unraced Mogul (Galileo). It is worth recalling the comment at the time of MV Magnier, who said of his new purchase: “This is a lovely colt, and has always been a lovely horse, though maybe not as pretty as Sir Isaac Newton. I think that Aidan believes he did not get it quite right with Sir Isaac, so Coolmore was happy to come back again - I also know that Ballydoyle holds Japan in high regard.”

Meanwhile, Newsells Park has a filly foal which was born in late January by Galileo out of the 18-year-old Shastye and she returned to the stallion this year.

By the way, it is not just Shastye who has enhanced the family fortunes since 2005. Her half-sister Sage Et Jolie (Linamix), a ‘mere’ Group 2 winner, is the dam of 2008 Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan winner Sageburg (Johannesburg) who now stands at Garryrichard Stud in Co Wexford. Another of Shastye’s half-sisters, Sagalina (Linamix), bred the 2012 Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Sagawara (Shamardal).

This story is not just about the female family of Japan. His victory in France marked a watershed for the great Galileo, as Japan became the 80th Group or Grade 1 winner for the Coolmore anchor. Given his fertility and good health, Galileo will be a marked influence himself on racing for some time to come, while his sons and daughters are also playing their part in ensuring that he will be remembered by many future generations.

Followers on social media will also be aware of the staggering numbers associated with Japan’s victory for his trainer Aidan O’Brien. In summary, he was giving Aidan his 322nd Group/Grade 1 success on the flat (plus 22 over jumps). Japan became his 155th individual Group/Grade 1 winner (plus eight under National Hunt rules).

Japan followed Scorpion (2005), Imperial Monarch (2012) and Kew Gardens (2018) as the fourth winner of the Group 1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris trained by Aidan, and was the maestro’s 44th Group 1 success in France. Ryan Moore was getting the leg up on his 73rd Group/Grade 1 win for Ballydoyle.

Enough said.