THERE are early signs that three divisions of Green Desert’s powerful branch of the Danzig (by Northern Dancer) line are developing and, right now, there is a case to be made that the strongest one is that being forged by Invincible Spirit.
A speedy son of a classic-winning mare, he did not get his Group 1 win until the age of five but his best offspring have been hitting that target much earlier, and some of them multiple times. His stallion sons include classic sire Lawman, leading Australian sire I Am Invincible – who has had yearlings fetching seven-figure prices – and blacktype producers such as Born To Sea, Captain Marvelous, Mayson, Vale Of York and Zebedee.
Those awaiting runners include Charm Spirit, National Defense, Profitable, Shalaa, Territories, Ajaya and Cable Bay.
A handful of the Invincible Spirits have shown a touch of brilliance on the track, notably European champion Kingman whose only defeat in eight starts was a half-length second to Night Of Thunder in a vintage edition of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. A late-June runaway debutant scorer and winner of the Group 3 Solario Stakes at two, his five wins at three were achieved by an aggregate of over 15 lengths.
He beat Night Of Thunder easily in the St James’s Palace Stakes, beat Toronado in the Sussex, defeated Anodin in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, and thrashed the field in the Irish 2000 Guineas despite racing on ground that was feared to be too soft for him.
The Timeform 134-rated star is a half-brother to Group 3 scorer Remote (by Dansili), his dam is the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) winner Zenda (by Zamindar), and her siblings feature Group 1 July Cup champion and major international sire Oasis Dream – another of the three Green Desert stallions working on developing his own line.
Kingman’s grandam Hope (by Dancing Brave) is an unraced full-sister to Irish Oaks heroine Wemyss Bight, dam of four-time top-level ace and successful dual-purpose sire Beat Hollow (by Sadler’s Wells), and out of Bahamian (by Mill Reef), the high-class ancestor of a host of notable performers including Group 1 star New Bay (by Dubawi) who has his first foals on the ground.
Kingman’s brilliance, auction success – yearlings made up to 1,700,000gns – level of support, and close relationship to Oasis Dream make him one of the most exciting freshmen of 2018 and, later, a likely classic sire.
KINGMAN (GB), Bay 2011. Jt Champion 3yr old colt in Europe in 2014. Champion 3yr old miler in Europe in 2014. Won seven races, £970,834, from 7 furlongs to 1 mile, at 2 and 3 years including, Prix Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois, Deauville, Gr.1, QIPCO Sussex Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.1, St James’s Palace Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh, Gr.1, AON Greenham Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3, Betfred Mobile Solario Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.3, also placed 2nd QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Newmarket, Gr.1.
Retired to stud in 2015; first crop now two-year-olds.
Stands at: Banstead Manor Stud, Cheveley, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9RD, England
Contact: Shane Horan, Claire Curry or Eoin Fives
Telephone: +44 (0)1638 731115
Email: nominations@juddmonte.co.uk
Web: www.juddmonte.com
Fee: £55,000