SHIROCCO has sired the runaway Group 1 Irish St Leger winner Brown Panther, two Grade 1 winners in Brazil, the Group 1-placed pattern scorers Arrigo, Wild Coco, and Ibicenco, and nine others who have won in listed or pattern company on the flat, plus the dual classic-placed filly Shirocco Star, and now he is in a new phase of his career.
A brilliant middle-distance son of the outstanding German sire Monsun (by Konigsstuhl), he is in his second season at Glenview Stud and his popularity with those seeking to breed top-class National Hunt horses is no surprise given what some of his flat-bred progeny have achieved when racing over obstacles.
His tally of 18 flat stakes winners is boosted by another seven who have been blacktype scorers under National Hunt rules, and the most recent addition to that second list, up to Monday, was the Dominique Bressou-trained four-year-old For Me, winner of the Listed Prix Univers II (Hurdle) over two and a quarter miles at Auteuil on Sunday.
His flat-bred yearlings, conceived at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, made up to 85,000gns last season, so it is a fair bet that there are more flat stakes and pattern horses for him waiting in the wings, still to be identifed.
Three of his initial National Hunt blacktype winners have won at the highest level over hurdles, with Principe Del Mare achieving that feat in Italy, Lac Fontana scoring at Aintree in 2014, and the brilliant mare Annie Power heading the roll of honour.
That Willie Mullins-trained star is out of a daughter of Old Vic (by Sadler’s Wells), and although her dam was a flat pattern winner and comes from a flat family, one would imagine that sending National Hunt oriented Sadler’s Wells-line (by Northern Dancer) mares to Shirocco will be a popular move.
His Brazilian flat Grade 1 scorer January Jones is out of a daughter of Crimson Tide (by Sadler’s Wells), the pattern-placed stakes winner Good Morning Star is out of a Beat Hollow (by Sadler’s Wells) mare, and Sunday’s listed hurdles winner For Me has Galileo (by Sadler’s Wells) as his broodmare sire.
Shirocco is by the sire of the excellent National Hunt stallion Network, of the champion German flat sire Samum, of the Group 1 sire Manduro, and various others stars who are in earlier stages of their stud careers.
His four blacktype-winning siblings include his classic-placed full-brothers Subiaco and Storm Trooper, his pattern-winning grandam Sedulous (by Tap On Wood) was a full-sister to the stakes winner and blacktype producer Tapolite, and she was a half-sister to the dam of the multiple pattern-winning sprinter Miss Emma (by Key Of Luck).
Shirocco was a classic and Breeders’ Cup winner and the son of Monsun has sired three flat Group/Grade 1 winners plus another three who have won at the highest level over hurdles. He is a proven sire and yet one whose profile could be set to rise considerably over the coming years.
SHIROCCO (GER)
Race Record: Winner of seven races, over 11-12 furlongs, from 3-5 years inc Deutsches Derby, Gr.1, Gran Premio del Jockey Club, Gr.1, Breeders’ Cup Turf, Gr.1, Coronation Cup, Gr.1, Prix Foy, Gr.2, Jockey Club Stakes, Gr.2, Derby Trial, Listed, 3rd Grosser Preis von Baden, Gr.1, Prix Foy, Gr.2, Oppenheim Union-Rennen, Gr.2, etc. Champion 3yo in Germany and Italy in 2004.
Stud record: Retired to stud in 2007. 18 SW (flat) inc Brown Panther (Irish St Leger, Gr.1), Calendula (Grande Premio Margarida Polak Lara, Gr.1), January Jones (Grande Premio Henrique Possollo, Gr.1), Arrigo (Gr.2 winner, Gr.1 placed), Wild Coco (Gr.2 winner, Gr.1 placed), Ibicenco (Gr.3 winner, Gr.1 placed), etc. Yearlings made up to 85,000gns in 2014.
Also seven NH blacktype winners inc Annie Power (Mares’ Champion Hurdle, Gr.1, Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final, Gr.1, 2nd World Hurdle, Gr.1), Lac Fontana (Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, Gr.1), Principe Del Mare (Gran Criterium d’Autunno Hurdle, Gr.1), Barcelona (Gr.2), Red Sherlock (Gr.2). Foals made up to €38,000 in 2014.
Stands at: Glenview Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork
Contact: Paul Cashman, Donal White, Rachel Robinson, Stephen O’Flynn on +353 (0)25 36701
Email: glenstud@iol.ie
Website: www.rathbarrystud.com
Fee: on application
GLENVIEW STUD
Glenview Stud is the National Hunt division of Rathbarry Stud and the Fermoy-based farm, long associated with producing major stallions, is home to the multiple champion sire Presenting (by Mtoto) and to three others who are well-known and established names.
Robin Des Champs (by Garde Royale) began his career in France, his oldest Irish-conceived progeny are five, and he is responsible for Grade 1 standouts such as Quevega, Sir Des Champs, and Vautour, to name just three.
Classic-placed Group 1 winner Sholokhov (by Sadler’s Wells) was a classic sire in Germany before coming to Ireland, his first Irish-conceived crop are yearlings, and his top winners include the Grade 1 chase star Don Cossack.
The line-up is completed by the outstanding middle-distance horse Shirocco whose three Group 1 winners on the flat (one of them already in 2015) are matched by three Grade 1 winners under National Hunt rules, one of whom is the brilliant mare Annie Power.