GALILEO had just one stakes winner in his first two-year-olds, as did his half-brother Sea The Stars, and getting one, two, or even three blacktype scorers is a typically good start for any stallion’s first season.

Lope De Vega could become an overall champion sire, or become the sire of classic winners, but with the start he made in 2014 the chances of the latter, at least, look good.

Four of his first crop are pattern scorers and the roll of honour is headed by the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winning juvenile champion Belardo (dam by Danehill).

Indeed, Lope De Vega almost made it five individual first crop juvenile pattern winners as Baltic Comtesse (dam by Sadler’s Wells) failed by just half a length to take the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville on the last of her three starts.

Hero Look (dam by Daylami) won the Group 2 Gran Criterium in Milan, Royal Razalma (dam by Flying Spur) won the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket, and Burnt Sugar (dam by Titus Livius) picked up the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton.

Lope De Vega was Europe’s champion freshman sire of 2014 and his foals and yearlings were hugely popular in the auction ring.

This outstanding start appears more exciting than it might look for some other stallions given Lope De Vega’s racing profile and pedigree.

He earned all of his blacktype at the age of three and won both the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club.

Also eye-catching is the absence of Northern Dancer (by Nearctic) within the first four generations of his pedigree, and this means that there will be no mention of Northern Dancer in the top half of his progeny’s five-generation chart, which will benefit those seeking to avoid further inbreeding to some of the most popular lines.

It is no surprise, therefore, that so many of his initial winners are from mares who represent various major Northern Dancer lines, and as he is inbred 3x3 to Machiavellian (by Mr Prospector), whose third dam Natalma (by Native Dancer) was the dam of Northern Dancer, it is possible that his affinity for the Danehill, Green Desert, and Sadler’s Wells lines may be strengthened.

It is inevitable that more of his progeny will show further inbreeding to Machiavellian, especially given the emergence of Burnt Sugar from his first crop. That Richard Hannon-trained bay, who has run twice at Meydan this year, is inbred 4x4x3 to that influential stallion.

SHAMARDAL

Lope De Vega is the first sire son of the juvenile star and dual French classic winner Shamardal (by Giant’s Causeway) and he is the better of two pattern winners out of Lady Vettori (by Vettori), a mare who was a Group 1-placed pattern scorer as a two-year-old.

Her dam Lady Golconda (by Kendor) was an unraced half-sister to the Grade 1 placed US Grade 2 scorer Lady Blessington (by Baillamont) and to two other successful blacktype horses, and another of their siblings became the dam of the Grade 1-placed triple US Grade 2 winner Gotta Have Her (by Royal Academy).

The Group 3 Prix Muguet scorer Prospero (by Faraway Son) appears in the fourth generation of the family, and so this is a line that has a long association with producing high-class performers at around eight to 10 furlongs.

Lope De Vega has made an exciting start to his stallion career and given his racing profile and his pedigree he has the potential to become a major sire.

LOPE DE VEGA

(IRE)

Race record: Winner of 4 races, over 7-10.5 furlongs, from 2-3 years inc Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Gr.1, Prix du Jockey-Club, Gr.1, 3rd Prix de Fontainbleau, Gr.3, etc.

Stud record: Retired to stud in 2011. First crop are 3yo. 4 SW inc Belardo (Dewhurst Stakes, Gr.1), Hero Look (Gran Criterium, Gr.2), Burnt Sugar (Sirenia Stakes, Gr.3), Royal Razalma (Cornwallis Stakes, Gr.3), Baltic Comtesse (2nd Prix des Reservoirs, Gr.3), Wychwood Warrior (3rd Meydan Classic, Listed), etc. European champion freshman sire in 2014. Yearlings made up to 650,000gns in 2014; foals made up to €300,000 in 2014.

Stands at: Ballylinch Stud, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny

Contact: Nicola Griffin, Michael Ryan or David Myerscough on +353 (0)56 7724217

Email: nicola@ballylinchstud.ie or michaelryan@ballylinchstud.ie or davidmyerscough@ballyinchstud.ie

Website: www.ballylinchstud.com

Fee: €40,000 1st October