IT was hard to imagine, during his reign as a perennial champion sire, that we would ever see the likes of Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer) again in our lifetime. It was hoped, of course, that at least one of his sons would become a worthy successor, but even the most optimistic of dreamers could not have foreseen the influence that one of his most brilliant ones would wield.
Several Sadler’s Wells sons have forged their own branches of his line, with the US-made El Prado one now showing signs of splitting in two (Kitten’s Joy and Medaglia d’Oro), but the European branches are younger, yet firmly established and growing, and they include two of their sire’s later champions.
Both are relevant when examining the potential of Ringwood Stud’s new stallion Hydrogen as he is by one of them – Galileo – and out of a mare whose star son is a Derby-winning and well-established sire son of the other – Montjeu.
Hydrogen, who could be described as being a three-parts brother to Authorized, lit up the auction ring in Newmarket in 2012, when fetching 2,500,000gns from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
He joined the Peter Chapple-Hyam stable, but although his famous sibling won the Derby, Juddmonte International Stakes, and Racing Post Trophy for that handler, Hydrogen failed to trouble the judge in two runs, both of them over middle-distances.
Despite this, his pedigree and looks made him an obvious candidate to find a place at stud. After all, he is closely related to the sire of Group 1 stars Ambivalent, Complacent, Pounamu, Seal Of Approval, and Hartnell, the latter a triple top-level winner and seven-figure earner in Australia and who has chased home the great Winx on multiple occasions.
Authorized, like most good flat sires, has also made an impact in the National Hunt sector where, in addition to such as Tiger Roll, Sternrubin, and Zamdy Man, his best are headed by the tragically ill-fated eight-time Grade 1 star Nichols Canyon.
Hydrogen’s dam Funsie (by Saumarez) is a half-sister to the dam of Arc heroine Solemia (by Poliglote) and out of Vallee Dansante (by Lyphard), a mare whose descendants include Group 1 stars Okawango (by Kingmambo), Quijano (by Acatenanco), Silasol (by Monsun) and The Gurkha (by Galileo) – the latter a classic star and young Coolmore stallion.
Hydrogen’s third dam, therefore, is Green Valley (by Val De Loir), the dam of classic star and influential sire Green Dancer (by Nijinsky), grandam of classic sire Alhaarth (by Unfuwain), and third dam of classic sire Makfi (by Dubawi).
HYDROGEN (GB), Bay 2011. Ran twice.
Retired to stud in 2017
Stands at: Ringwood Stud, Churchtown, Newcastle West, Co Limerick, Ireland.
Contact: Peter Leonard or Peter Moloney
Telephone: +353 (0)87 2631337 or +353 (0)86 8238611
Email: ringwoodstud@gmail.com
Fee: on application