NIJINSKY (by Northern Dancer) remains the most recent winner of the original Triple Crown and, in addition to the huge influence he had on flat racing and pedigrees, his line has long been one of the most successful in National Hunt circles.
There is a lengthy list of Grade 1 winning hurdlers and chasers who descend from him, and sires such as Alflora, Assessor, Hernando, Cadoudal, Indian River, Kadalko, Kahyasi, Moscow Society, Overbury, and Saint Des Saints are just a handful of those whose offspring and descendants have excelled over obstacles.
The first three on that short list are sons of the classic star and classic sire Niniski, a horse whose many notable performers also featured Lomitas, sire of Arc heroine Danedream and top-class middle-distance horse Silvano, among others. The latter went on to establish himself as a leading stallion in both Germany and South Africa and his top-level winners include Lucky Speed, the Group 1 Deutsches Derby hero of 2013.
That Peter Schiergen-trained bay also won the Group 3 Bavarian Classic over 10 furlongs at Munich and the Grade 3 American St Leger Stakes over 13 and a half furlongs at Arlington, and his pattern placings featured a third to Sirius in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten.
His siblings include the Listed Gerry Fielden Hurdle winner Lyvius (by Paolini), who was only beaten a neck by Baradari when runner-up in the Grade 2 Keltbray Holloway’s Hurdle at Ascot, and this, combined with being a classic-winning representative of such an influential sire line, makes is no surprise that he found a top home as a National Hunt stallion in Ireland. Also attractive is that his Group 3-placed dam Lysuna is a daughter of the hugely influential Monsun (by Koniggstuhl) and out of La Lyra, a mare by Derby hero Slip Anchor (by Shirley Heights), the sire of Stowaway. His third dam, La Luna (by Lyphard), won on the flat in France and was a full-sister to multiple pattern-winning miler and blacktype sire Bellypha. So this German Derby-winning horse represents a combination of the influential Nijinsky, Monsun and Mill Reef (by Never Bend) lines and comes from the direct family of a proven stallion.
A handful of Lucky Speed’s first foals went through the ring last year and they include colts who fetched €19,000 in Fairyhouse and €16,500 in Goffs, while the only one who has been offered yet as a yearling made €16,500 at the recent Tattersalls Ireland February NH Sale.
LUCKY SPEED (IRE), Bay 2010. Top rated 3yr old in Germany in 2013 (11-13f.). Won four races, £452,731, from 1 mile 2 furlongs to 1 mile 5½ furlongs, 3 to 5 years including, Sparda Deutsches Derby, Hamburg, Gr.1, American St Leger Stakes, Arlington, Gr.3, onextwo.com Bavarian Classic, Munich, Gr.3, also placed 2nd Fruhjahrs-Preis des Bankhauses Metzler, Frankfurt, Gr.3, and 3rd Grosser Preis von Berlin, Berlin-Hoppegarten, Gr.1 and G. P. der Badischen Unternehmer Rennen, Baden-Baden, Gr.2.
Retired to stud in 2016; first crop now yearlings.
Stands at: Sunnyhill Stud, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, Ireland.
Contact: Michael Hickey
Telephone: +353 (0)45 481201
Email: info@sunnnyhillstud.com
Web: www.sunnyhillstud.com
Fee: €2,500