DANEHILL and Green Desert forged powerful branches of the Danzig (by Northern Dancer) sire line and, if a third one is going to emerge, then there are only two realistic candidates left: one is War Front.
The Claiborne Farm stallion was a leading sprinter and he has established himself as one of the most sought-after US-based sires. His European-trained Group/Grade 1 stars include Air Force Blue, Brave Anna, Declaration Of War, and Hit It A Bomb, and his USA stars include The Factor and Data Link.
The Factor was one of five freshman sires of 2016 with a northern hemisphere Group/Grade 1 winner to their name, and each of Data Link (top priced yearling made $200,000), Declaration Of War (380,000gns) and Grade 2 winner Soldat ($155,000) are freshmen sires of 2017.
Of course, War Front’s European stars also feature War Command, and Coolmore Stud’s Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, Group 2 Futurity Stakes and Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner will have his first yearlings on offer in the coming months: his foals having made up to 100,000gns in Newmarket.
It is striking that his only times out of the frame were when going beyond seven furlongs, so it may be that he got more of his sire-line’s speed than the mile-plus talent often seen in the distaff side of the pedigree.
His dam, Wandering Star (by Red Ransom), won the Grade 2 E.P. Taylor Stakes over 10 furlongs at Woodbine and her other pattern-winning son, Naval Officer (by Tale Of The Cat), won the Group 3 Prix de Conde over nine.
Out Of Egypt, a full-sister to Wandering Star, is the dam of juvenile champion and Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas heroine Rollout The Carpet (by Holy Roman Emperor), and their grandam is Gris Vitesse (by Amerigo), the Prix Jacques le Marois heroine of 1969.
With regard to War Command’s potential to sire pattern and Group 1 horses, however, it is Silver Hawk’s name that stands out on the page.
He won the Group 3 Craven Stakes, chased home Assert in the Group 1 Irish Derby and was third to Golden Fleece at Epsom before going on to become a leading international sire.
His European standouts included Group 1 Derby hero Benny The Dip, Group 1 Prix de Diane star Lady In Silver, Group 1 St Leger winner Mutafaweq, and classic-placed French Group 1 scorer Germance.
His top-level winners elsewhere include Hawkster, Nashoba’s Key and Wonder Again, and, as a son of Roberto (by Hail To Reason) and Gris Vitesse, he was very closely related to the dam of War Command.
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, first crop now yearlings.
Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland
Contact: Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Mathieu Legars or Jason Walsh
Telephone: +353 (0) 52 6131298
Email: info@coolmore.ie
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €12,500