MUCH of the legacy of the great stallion Danzig (by Northern Dancer) is being carried on via the dynasties forged by his classic-placed Group 1-winning sprint stars Danehill and Green Desert. The Newmarket-based National Stud’s newest recruit, Marcel, represents the latter.
The Group 1 Racing Post Trophy winner is an early stallion son for classic hero and classic sire Lawman (by Invincible Spirit), the sire also of Harbour Law, Just The Judge, Law Enforcement and Most Improved, all of whom were successful at Group 1 level. However, Marcel’s race record and male line are not the only things about him that should generate plenty of attention and support.
Sadly injury restricted Marcel to just four starts, but he has begun his new career at an eye-catching fee of just £5,000, he comes from a prolific blacktype family that has excelled on several continents, and one of his most famous relations was an up-and-coming member of the stallion ranks, whose tally of Group 1 winners would surely have been higher had he not died so young.
Marcel is out of Mauresmo (by Marju), who is an unraced full-sister to the Group 2 Diadem Stakes runner-up Munjiz, and she is, in turn, out of Absaar (by Alleged), a winning half-sister to two multiple Group/Grade 1 stars. Annoconnor (by Nureyev) won the Grade 1 Ramona Handicap, Santa Ana Handicap, and Vanity Invitational Handicap - all at the highest level - and her string of stakes-winning descendants include pattern scorers Caesarion (by Danehill), dual Group 2 winner Cladocera (by Oasis Dream), and Way West (by Danehill).
Group/graded winners such as Far Lane (by Lear Fan), Oak Tree Derby winners Dark Islander (by Singspiel), Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Arod (by Teofilo), Scribe (by Sadler’s Wells), and Baletti (by Gulch) descend from two of her sisters, as do several listed race winners and a Scandinavian champion and Derby hero, but it is her top-class half-brother At Talaq (by Roberto) who has most relevance to Marcel’s prospects.
He won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, Group 1 MacKinnon Stakes, and Group 1 Melbourne Cup, and the Group 1 events in which he finished second or third were the Derby Italiano, Grosser Preis von Berlin, Caulfield Cup, Underwood Stakes, Australian Cup, and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. This was at a time when fourth place also counted for blacktype and At Talaq filled that position behind Secreto and El Gran Senor in the Derby at Epsom, he was fourth in the Group 1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club Coppa d’Oro and also in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes. His offspring featured the Group 1 stars Al Mansour, Leica Smile, Star Of Maple, Toledo, and sprint champion Skating, and he was only 14 years old when he died.
Won two races, £117,495, over from 7 furlongs to 1 mile, at 2 years including, Racing Post Trophy, Doncaster, Gr.1.
Retires to stud in 2017.
Stands at: National Stud, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 0XE, England
Contact: National Stud (England) or Andrew Nolan (Ireland)
Telephone: +44 (0)1638 663464 or +353 (0)86 2416690
Email: stallions@nationalstud.co.uk
Web: www.nationalstud.co.uk
Fee: £5,000