THE Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer) sire line had another prolific weekend of success last week and the winners that represented it included Sternrubin, the Philip Hobbs-trained four-year-old who dead-heated with Jolly’s Cracked It (by Astarabad) in the Grade 3 The Ladbroke (Handicap Hurdle) over a few yards short of two miles at Ascot.

Bred in Germany by Gestut Karlshof, he is a son of the Derby winner and Haras du Logis stallion Authorized (by Montjeu), the horse whose flat stars include the Group 1 winners Ambivalent, Complacent, Hartnell, and Seal Of Approval, and whose jumpers feature the five-times Grade 1 winner Nichols Canyon.

Sternrubin was placed once from three starts on the flat, finished fourth on his jumps debut, then was three times runner-up before reeling off a hat-trick, the treble also including a listed contest at Newbury last month.

His full-brother Summer Paradise won at Frankfurt earlier in the year and missed out on blacktype when only fourth in the Group 2 180th Oppenheim-Union-Rennen at Cologne in June, and his half-sister Sky Full Of Stars (by Kendargent) will be a two-year-old of 2016.

His dam Sworn Mum (by Samum) was listed-placed in France, and not only is she a half-sister to the dual stakes winner Sworn Sold (by Soldier Hollow) and to the juvenile Group 3 scorer Sworn Pro (by Protektor), but her dam Sweet Tern (by Arctic Tern) is one of nine winners from the 10 foals out of Saite (by Marduk), a mare who has a long list of blacktype descendants.

Two of Saite’s sons were listed placed, but her stakes-winning daughter Salde (by Alkalde) is the mare who gave us the Group 1-placed pattern scorer Saldentigerin (by Tiger Hill), the Group 3 winner Saldenschwinge (by In The Wings), and two listed scorers.

Salde is also the grandam of 2012’s Group 1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Salomina (by Lomitas) and of the juvenile Group 3 scorer Serienhoehe (by High Chaparral), and she has several other descendants who have earned blacktype.

Saite’s nine successful runners also include Sweet Royale (by Garde Royale) and that dual-winning half-sister to Sweet Tern is responsible for the Group 2 Grosser Mercedes-Benz Preis winner Sweet Wake (by Waky Nao) and for the Grade C Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle scorer Sweet Shock (by Sholokhov).

With so much blacktype within the first few generations of the family it is hardly a surprise that Sternrubin has earned some for himself, and there is every reason to hope that this talented four-year-old can progress further.