FASTNET Rock might be in the shadow of the incomparable Galileo in Coolmore, but his prowess as a stallion is well recognised throughout the world – and no wonder.

Leading sire in Australia on a couple of occasions, he was twice a champion racehorse there also. His latest Group 1 star to emerge is Rivet, winner of the Racing Post Trophy at the weekend. He is one of more than 100 stakes winners for his sire who is a multiple Group 1 winning son of Danehill.

These include a pair of champions in the southern hemisphere, while in Europe we know such as Fascinating Rock, Oaks winner Qualify, this year’s Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Intricately and Group 1 winner Diamondsandrubies well.

With Rivet adding to the growing list of Group 1 winners by his sire, this most recent win was special for winning trainer William Haggas who is married to Maureen Piggott. The colt was bred by a partnership of Lester Piggott, John Magnier, Des Scott and Michael Tabor and had previously won the Group 2 At The Races Champagne Stakes.

Rivet is the sixth runner and winner for his Galileo dam Starship who won three times.

Her other winners include Group 3 Gallinule Stakes winner Alexander Pope and he is also a grandson of Danehill. Another of the six winners is Rivet’s full-brother Out And About.

Starship’s 10 winning siblings are headed by another runner who was a star for the Haggas stable. Rated the best juvenile filly of her generation in Europe, Superstar Leo was a daughter of College Chapel and she won the Flying Childers and Norfolk Stakes, while also running second in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp. At stud she is the dam of stakes winners Enticing and Sentaril (by Danehill Dancer).

One of Starship’s non-winning half-sisters is the Danzero mare New York and her Medecis son December Draw won and was placed in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes in Australia.

It is no real surprise that Rivet has emerged from his female line as he is just the latest of many Group 1 winners up close in the pedigree. His third dam Dancing Rocks won the Group 2 (now Group 1) Nassau Stakes and one-third of her nine winners are stakes winners. More importantly her daughters have produced the Group 1 winners Footstepsinthesand (2000 Guineas) and Pedro The Great (Phoenix Stakes), as well as the classic-placed Mahler. She is also the third dam of classic winner and leading young sire Power, and the E P Taylor Stakes winner Curvy.

Rivet is a fascinating prospect for next year and the Group 1 winning son of one of the world’s most successful sires possesses a true stallion’s pedigree. His ultimate stud destination is not hard to predict.