FIRST GROUP 1s FOR TWO LATE SIRES
Two of the Group 1 winners at Royal Ascot this week went to first-crop sons of stallions that are no longer with us.
The initial strike went to classic-placed sprinter Delegator (by Dansili), who stood four seasons at Overbury Stud but died at the age of 10.
The horse who chased home Sea The Stars in the 2000 Guineas, he was a neck runner-up to Mastercraftsman in the St James's Palace Stakes in his target at the royal meeting, but his son Accidental Agent took the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at the venue on Tuesday.
This was a first blacktype success for the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained colt, and the capable two-year-old who became a high-class handicapper at three, is owned and bred by Gaie Johnson Houghton, who has had the distaff line for several generations.
He is out of Roodle (by Xaar), who is a winning half-sister to the Grade 1-placed, dual US Grade 2 star Prize Exhibit (by Showcasing), his grandam Roodeye (by Inchinor) and third dam Roo (by Rudimentary) were stakes-placed at two, and the latter's offspring also include Gallagher (by Bahamian Bounty) who was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Morny, Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes and Group 2 Richmond Stakes.
Roo's half-brother Bannister (by Inchinor) took the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York, and their unraced half-sister Runway Dancer (by Dansili) is the mare who gave us Group 1 Middle Park Stakes scorer and Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes third Astaire (by Intense Focus).
On Wednesday, Poet's Word beat a seemingly below-par Cracksman in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, thereby becoming the first top-level winner for late Dalham Hall Stud stallion Poet's Voice (by Dubawi).
A mile Group 1 star whose best offspring include some Italian classic scorers, Poet's Voice was only 11 when he died.
His best son was bred by Woodcote Stud, he chased home Decorated Knight in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes and Cracksman in the Group 1 Champion Stakes last year, and he is the best of several winners out of Whirly Bird (by Nashwan).
His half-sister Malabar (by Raven's Pass) was a dual Group 3 scorer at Goodwood and just missed out on classic placing when fourth in the 1000 Guineas, and her half-sister Whirly Dancer (by Danehill Dancer) is the dam of last year's Group 2 Railway Stakes winner Beckford (by Bated Breath).
The mare's siblings include 14-furlong Group 3 scorer Ursa Major (by Galileo), her grandam is the high-class miler Inchmurrin (by Lomond), and so Poet's Word comes from the immediate family of classic sire Inchinor (by Ahonoora).
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KINGMAN LANDMARK
Banstead Manor Stud's Timeform 134-rated miler Kingman (by Invincible Spirit) became the first freshman sire of 2018 to get a pattern winner when his exciting son Calyx justified favouritism in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes on Tuesday.
The John Gosden-trained juvenile, a Juddmonte homebred, is out of runaway Group 3 Prix d'Aumale winner and Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Helleborine (by Observatory), who is a full-sister to Fair Eva's (by Frankel) Group 1-winning dam African Rose.
Their pattern-placed dam New Orchid (by Quest For Fame) is a half-sister to Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes scorer Distant Music (by Distant View), and the notable winners in the family also include US champions and multiple Grade 1 stars Temperence Hill (by Stop The Music) and Vanlandingham (by Cox's Ridge).
Kingman, whose half-brother First Eleven (by Frankel) came off worst in the three-way photo for the King George VU Stakes at Ascot on Thursday, is out of Zenda (by Zamindar), the classic-winning half-sister to sprint champion and leading sire Oasis Dream (by Green Desert).
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20TH GROUP 1 STAR FOR SHAMARDAL
Kildangan Stud's Shamardal (by Giant's Causeway) reached a notable and seldom seen landmark on Tuesday when his son Blue Point took the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Ascot, thereby becoming the stallion's 20th individual winner at the highest level.
Bred by Oak Lodge Bloodstock and trained by Charlie Appleby, the Godolphin-owned four-year-old is a half-brother to Group 2 Railway Stakes winner Formosina (by Footstepsinthesand) and he is out of Scarlett Rose (by Royal Applause).
She was placed four times from 13 starts, but her string of successful siblings features a prolific horse whom many Irish racegoers will remember, as Tumbleweed Ridge (by Indian Ridge) won the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
That pattern-race hat-trick was among 10 wins from 58 starts for the Brian Meehan-trained seven-furlong specialist.
Scarlett Rose's siblings also include Tumbleweed Pearl (by Aragon), and that lightly-raced but successful sprinter is the dam of Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Gilded (by Redback).
Shamardal also struck this week with impressive Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes heroine Aljazzi, the Marco Botti-trained five-year-old who carries the colours of her breeders, Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar.
She is the first foal out of 10-furlong listed scorer Nouriya (by Danehill Dancer), and her grandam, Majestic Sakeena (by King's Best), is a half-sister to Shy Lady (by Kaldoun) – the stakes-winning dam of classic-placed Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes hero Zafeen (by Zafonic).
The family's Ascot connections also include Group 2 Diadem Stakes (now British Champions Sprint) winner Diffident (by Nureyev) whose half-sister Shy Danceuse (by Groom Dancer) is the third dam of Aljazzi.
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NEW GROUP 1 STAR FOR FRANKEL
Frankel's top son Cracksman incurred a shock defeat in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes on Wednesday – take out Poet's Word and we'd have been hailing a brilliant eight-length defeat of an Eclipse Stakes winner instead of using the word disappointing – but Frankel added to his Group 1 tally the previous day.
John Gunther's homebred Without Parole, who represents the stallion's second crop, extended his unbeaten record to four with victory in the St James's Palace Stakes.
The colt is a half-brother to Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz (by Speightstown) – a Shadwell Farm stallion whose first foals arrived this year – and he is out of Without You Babe (by Lemon Drop Kid), who is a half-sister to classic-placed Grade 1 Travers Stakes and Grade 1 Cigar Mile star Stay Thirsty (by Bernardini).
The mare's siblings also include classic-placed Grade 3 scorer Andromeda's Hero (by Fusaichi Pegasus) and the Grade 1-placed stakes winner Superfly (by Fusaichi Pegasus), and her grandam is the multiple Grade 1-placed listed scorer Make Change (by Roberto).
Frankel's runners this week also included Group 2 Queen's Vase third Nelson, Thursday's French mile listed scorer Frankel Light and King George V Stakes (handicap) first and third Baghdad and First Eleven, Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes third Sun Maiden, and Monarchs Glen, the Juddmonte homebred who took the Listed Wolferton Stakes over 10 furlongs on Tuesday.
The latter, a pattern winner last year, is a first-crop son of the stallion and, like Without Parole and Crackman, he is trained by John Gosden.
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ACCLAMATION'S RISING STAR
Juddmonte homebred Expert Eye looked a potential Group 1 star in the making last year and the Sir Michael Stoute-trained three-year-old gave that impression again this week when storming to a four-and-a-half-length victory in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He is the second foal of Exemplify (by Dansili), who is a winning half-sister to dual mile classic scorer Special Duty (by Hennessy), and the mare is out of Quest To Peak (by Distant View), a full-sister to multiple Grade 1 star Sightseek and half-sister to dual Grade 1 scorer Tates Creek (by Rahy).
The best horses in the family have excelled at eight, nine and 10 furlongs, but Expert Eye has more of the pace of his sire than that comparative stamina.
The son of Rathbarry Stud stallion Acclamation (by Royal Applause) looks an ideal candidate for Group 1 contests such as the July Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest, Sprint Cup, British Champions Sprint or Prix de la Foret, and given the record of his sire's sons at stud, he looks certain to prove highly popular in such a role whenever his racing days come to an end.
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ANOTHER FOR DAWN APPROACH
Kildangan Stud's juvenile champion and classic hero Dawn Approach (by New Approach) narrowly missed out on a first classic winner as a sire when his daughter Musis Amica was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines (French Oaks) at Chantilly on Sunday, but he added to his blacktype tally at Sandown the previous day.
It was then that first-crop son Haddaf won the Listed Randox Health Scurry Stakes over five furlongs, a third win in four starts this year for the James Tate-trained gelding.
He was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd, he is out of Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Deveron (by Cozzene), and so is a half-brother to mile listed scorer Lamar (by Cape Cross), who also represented the Tate stable.
His dam's siblings, on the other hand, feature her notable full-brother Windward Islands, a dual winner of the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes over nine furlongs on turf at Woodbine in Canada.
In addition to Haddaf and classic-placed pattern winner Musis Amica, Dawn Approach's first crop also includes Group 2-placed Navan listed scorer Mary Tudor, Group 2 Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) runner-up Fajjaj, and three others who have been blacktype placed in the northern hemisphere.
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EASY WIN FOR CAMELOT COLT
The first crop of Coolmore Stud's multiple classic hero Camelot (by Montjeu) got its sixth stakes winner when Hunting Horn was impressive in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes over 10 furlongs at Ascot on Thursday.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt, who was twice pattern-placed before finishing a close sixth in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby), was bred by Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock.
He is a half-brother to Group 2 scorer David Livingston (by Galileo), and his dam, Mora Bai (by Indian Ridge), is a half-sister to dual Derby, dual Breeders' Cup hero and leading international sire High Chaparral (by Sadler's Wells).
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GROUP 2 WINNER FOR FARHH
The first crop of Dalham Hall Stud stallion Farhh (by Pivotal) is small by modern standards but it has made quite an impact.
Derby runner-up and leading Group 1 St Leger candidate Dee Ex Bee heads the roll of honour so far, but the Andre Fabre-trained Nocturnal Fox is on the upgrade too and won the Group 2 Prix Hocquart Longines at Chantilly on Sunday.
Godolphin's homebred is a half-brother to ill-fated stakes winner Best Of Times (by Dubawi) and he is out of Nabati (by Rahy), a half-sister to Group 1 St Leger hero and leading Brazilian sire Nedawi (by Rainbow Quest).
Their half-brother Wall Street (by Mr Prospector) won the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot, their dam is Group 2 scorer Wajd (by Northern Dancer), and that half-sister to four Group/Grade 1 stars is out of the great Dahlia (by Vaguely Noble).
That quartet were Dahar (by Lyphard), Dahlia's Dreamer (by Theatrical), Delegant (by Grey Dawn), Rivlia (by Riverman).
Farhh's first crop also includes Group 3 Acomb Stakes winner Wells Farhh Go, listed scorer Fa Ul Sciur, and stakes-placed Iconic Sunset.
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GALILEO FILLY MAGIC WAND IMPRESSIVE
The Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) filly Magic Wand, who disappointed in the Oaks on her previous start, easily won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot on Thursday.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained bay was bred by Ecurie des Monceaux & Skymarc Farm Inc, she is a €1,400,000 graduate of the Arqana August Yearling Sale, and she is a half-sister to Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (by Montjeu).
The pair are out of Prudenzia (by Dansili) and the notable winners who appear in the family include Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Alexandrova (by Sadler's Wells).