DANZIG (by Northern Dancer) forged a dynasty that has a powerful impact around the world. His tally of 198 stakes winners, of whom 46 won at least once at the highest level, was achieved at a time when books were much smaller than they are now, and before the advent of shuttling. He has a long list of sons who have sired at least one Group/Grade 1 winner of their own, and from all of those, there are two who have produced dynasties of their own: Danehill and Green Desert.
It long seemed that no other son would emerge as a third potential source, but two of the final Danzigs to go to stud have excelled as sires of stakes winners. It is very early yet for them as sires of stallions, and War Front has more sons at stud than does Hard Spun, but there is a chance that one, or even both of them, could eventually earn such fame.
The early War Fronts include The Factor and Declaration Of War, both of whom have sired a top-level winner, and last year’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) star Olmedo heads the tally for the latter. State Of Play has sired a Grade 2 scorer, Data Link and Soldat have struck at listed level, whereas Due Diligence (two-year-olds), Air Force Blue (yearlings), Hit It A Bomb (yearlings) and American Patriot (foals) are among those awaiting their first runners.
War Command made a promising start in 2018 with his first juveniles as his string of more than 20 winners includes the stakes-placed filly Dancing Warrior and the talented Mark Johnston-trained colt Victory Command. The latter has won four of his 11 starts, those wins include a nine-length score over seven and a half furlongs at Beverley plus a two-length listed-race success over seven at Ascot, and he was not disgraced when finishing fourth in both the Group 3 Solario Stakes and Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes on his final two runs at two.
War Command was a juvenile Group 1 star, fourth to Kingman in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes was the best of his three runs at three, but despite his precocity, there is a reason to believe that he may do better with his three-year-old and older horses than with juveniles.
His dam won the Grade 2 E P Taylor Stakes and she, Wandering Star (by Red Ransom), is closely related to dual Derby-placed pattern winner and leading sire Silver Hawk (by Roberto) and also to Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Rollout The Carpet (by Holy Roman Emperor).
Watch out for his eight to 10-furlong horses in 2019, as well as his second crop juveniles.
WAR COMMAND (USA). 3rd top rated 2yr old colt in Europe in 2013. Won four races, £389,363, from 6 furlongs to 7 furlongs, at 2 years including, Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Coventry Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes, Curragh, Gr.2, also placed third in Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, Curragh, Gr.1.
Retired to Stud in 2015, and sire of the winners of 35 races, and £370,932, including VICTORY COMMAND and Dancing Warrior
Stands at: Castlehyde Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland.
Contact: David Magnier, Tom Gaffney, Joe Hernon, John Kennedy or Cathal Murphy
Telephone: +353 (0)25 2531966
Email: info@castlehyde.com
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €8,000