THE Danzig (by Northern Dancer) sire line is one of the most dominant in Europe and in the southern hemisphere, supplying an ever-growing list of Group/Grade 1 winners, classic stars and successful breeding stock, but as yet that considerable influence is largely contained within the flat racing sector.

Its two powerful branches here are those forged by Green Desert and Danehill, and there is a chance that the 14-year-old US sire sensation War Front could eventually make a third.

There is a growing number of National Hunt graded winners who represent the line, and those totals will continue to increase as more of the stallions have runners over obstacles, but it striking that, as of Monday night, there was only one Danzig-line stallion in the top 30 in this season’s sires championship title race.

That horse is Castle Hyde Stud’s hugely successful Westerner (by Danehill). His oldest progeny are only eight years old but his string of big race winners features the Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival heroes Western Warhorse and Cole Harden, which is an excellent start.

Many Danzig-line stallions have sired blacktype winners under National Hunt rules and the line notched up another one last weekend when Its’afreebee won the Grade 2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle (registered as the Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle) over one miles, seven and a half furlongs at Haydock.

The six-year-old was bred by Edward Sexton and he represents one of the handful of European crops by the Group 2 winner and former shuttle sire Danroad (by Danehill), a horse whose southern hemisphere progeny include the New Zealand Group 1 scorer Rockdale and classic-placed Group 2 winner Down The Road, both from his first crop.

Despite this good early start, his popularity dropped considerably in recent seasons and it was reported in late November that he was leaving Highview Stud having been sold to the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group.

Its’afreebee is out of Aphra Benn (by In The Wings), who was placed over seven and 12 furlongs in England, and as she is out of the dual winner Aigue (by High Top) that makes her a half-sister to Mezzogiorno (by Unfuwain), a listed scorer who finished third behind Lady Carla in the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom and then third to Key Change in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.

That filly then became a notably successful broodmare whose daughters Monturani (by Indian Ridge), Monnavanna (by Machiavellian) and Mill Springs (by Shirocco) have all been stakes winners.

In fact, Monturani’s best win came in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at the Curragh, and in 2014 her grand-daughter Parsley (by Zebedee) was short-headed in the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr.

Monnavanna has produced a few winners so far and Mill Springs, who won the Listed Noel Murless Stakes over 14 furlongs at Ascot in October, is only a four-year-old.

Aigue’s other winners include the ill-fated dual hurdles scorer Alfred The Great (by King’s Best) and also John Hunter (by Unfuwain) who won a novice hurdle over two miles at Plumpton 14 years ago.

11 WINS

She also has an unraced daughter called Trois Heures Apres (by Soviet Star) and that mare has done her bit for the family as her eight successful progeny include the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes winner Blhadawa (by Iffraaj) and also the stakes-placed pair Rising Talent (by Bering) and Laurentina (by Cadeaux Genereux) who notched up 11 wins between them.

Aigue’s full-brother Torchon won five times, including a listed contest at Haydock, and her half-sister Norfolk Lily (by Blakeney), who was only placed a couple of times, is the dam of the Grade 2 Del Mar Invitational Derby winner Guide (by Local Suitor).

If you go back another generation then you will find that Cecilia Bianchi (by Petingo), the third dam of Its’afreebee, was a half-sister to classic-placed Prix de Mallaret and Prix de Sandringham scorer Calderina (by Lyphard) and also to Caracciola (by Zeddaan), the dam of 1991’s Group 1 2000 Guineas winner Mystiko (by Secreto).

Those horse are distantly related to Its’afreebee, both in terms of genetics and aptitude, but Saturday’s Haydock Grade 2 scorer, who is now unbeaten in three starts over hurdles, is a promising young horse who could be in action at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.