MANY readers may have, like me, been a little stumped to know that much about Shamalgan, sire at the weekend of the surprise, and record-breaking, Group 1 Preis der Diana-German Oaks winner Toskana Belle. However, it would almost take a book to tell his story in detail, and it might require being translated into a number of languages too.

The son of Footstepsinthesand (Giant’s Causeway) stands at Haras de Grandchamp, his fee this season being €4,000, and Toskana Belle is from his first crop conceived since he moved to that farm in Les Vignons. The then 10-year-old Shamalgan had been purchased by Simon Springer, owner of Ecurie Normandie Pur Sang, at the 2017 December Sale in Deauville for just €135,000, and sent to stand at his present base. Springer bred Toskana Belle from the Teofilo (Galileo) mare Tristane.

The latter, a €40,000 yearling purchase, carried Springer’s colours to victory at Toulouse as a three-year-old before heading to the breeding shed where her first covering was by another stallion owned by him, Dabirsim (Hat Trick) who was the European champion two-year-old in 2011.

The result of the mating was Frohsim, now a four-time winner and stakes-placed. Toskana Belle is the second offspring from Tristane.

Like her half-brother, Toskana Belle failed to sell in the ring, though she was to end up racing in France for Stall Picadilly, the racing name for Olaf, or Olly, Profft who enjoys a close connection to Springer as his racing manager. He was gifted the filly who has only raced five times, all this year, and she followed a promising debut at Saint-Cloud with a victory in May at Évreux.

Less than a fortnight later Toskana Belle was sent by trainer Marian Falk Weissmeier to Düsseldorf where she won the Listed Henkel-Stutenpreis, prompting her sale to Australian Bloodstock and her move to join Andreas Wöhler. The aim was to win the German Oaks, a race that Wöhler had won on five occasions.

Dream dented

That dream might have been dented a little when, on her first outing for new connections, Toskana Belle was only third in the Group 3 Diana Trial, but she made amends on the day that mattered most. Her new owners might attempt to add to that success in Europe, but they now have a new dream – that of winning in the USA and, with their luck, getting a profitable sale.

Meanwhile, the international, or global, aspect to this story continues, with Toskana Belle’s two-year-old half-brother, Wax On Wax Off (Pedro The Great), in training in Spain. He cost William Huntingdon and Liam Norris €50,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale last year, and it is to that sale that Simon Springer is consigning his yearling half-brother by Dabirsim.

Back at Haras de Grandchamp, where Springer has a broodmare band of more than 20, Tristane has a filly foal by Dabirsim, and is safely back in foal to Shamalgan.

Unfancied

What of Shamalgan and his, let’s call it varied, career? A dozen years ago, he started as the unfancied 100/1 outsider for the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas, and was a fine third to Group 1 winners Lope De Vega and Dick Turpin, beaten half a length and a length and a half. He had such as Poet’s Voice, Siyouni and Rajsaman in arrears in the 15-runner field.

Shamalgan started his racing career in the Czech Republic, where he was to be crowned champion on a couple of occasions, and was runner-up on his first two starts. However, his connections held a high opinion of him and sent him to contest a group race in Baden-Baden.

Shamalgan disappointed, returned to win the Cena Favorita Expa-Nails over a mile at home, turning the tables on Ramble On who had beaten him on his second start, and he was then sent to France where he completed his first season with a third-place finish in the Group 3 Prix de Conde at Longchamp, a length behind the winner.

Seven starts at three in France failed to yield a win, but he was just beaten a neck in the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam. He raced another seven times at four, twice successful back in the Czech Republic before landing a big one, the Group 2 Oettingen-Rennen at Baden-Baden. At five Shamalgan faced the white flag eight times and was not disgraced in a number of group starts, but without winning.

Best season

Kept in training at six, and in the care of the third of four trainers who would shape his racing career, Shamalgan had his best season racing. Seven starts included a pair of wins, a listed race in France and the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua in Milan. He attempted to double up in the Group 1 Premio Roma but found one too good for him. After 34 starts it was decided to try him at stud.

Shamalgan went to Haras du Lion at a small fee, less than €2,000, and covered a decent-sized book of 45 mares in his first season, but that fell to about a quarter of that number in year two.

It was then decided to return him to the track at the age of nine, and Shamalgan won one of his seven starts that year, the Prague Grand Prix. He went back to stand in the Czech Republic at Strelice Stud before he was sent to Arqana to be sold again.

This decision was taken as his first crop of two-year-old had hit the ground running, including the stakes-placed Anima Rock, later to become a local Group 3 winner in Doha, Qatar. In all, Anima Rock won eight times, and was the most prolific of the nine winners on the flat from that first crop. All but two of the nine were multiple winners also.

Shamalgan’s first year at Haras de Grandchamp saw him cover about 75 mares, his busiest season by some way, but that peak has been in steep decline since, and between two-year-olds, yearlings and foals, the France-Galop website lists a total of 32 progeny. Undeterred, Simon Springer has indicated that the stallion’s fee is likely to increase next year by up to 50%.

Fairytale

Well known at Arqana where he has been sold five times from six visits, Shamalgan’s story has all the ingredients of a fairytale, being a French-bred racing legend in the Czech Republic, a group winner in Italy and Germany, the sire of a European classic winner, and whose dam is a sibling to two high-class winners in the USA.

Oh yes, Shamalgan’s daughter Toskana Belle was ridden to her classic success by the Australian Kerrin McEvoy, for Australian owners. The connection between Andreas Wöhler and Australian Bloodstock’s Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett goes back to enjoying success in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup with Protectionist. The owners have a great record in the German Oaks, and this was their third win after Salomina a decade ago and Turfdonna, trained by Wöhler, three years later.

It took the payment of a €50,000 supplementary fee to put Toskana Belle into the weekends’ classic, but the outcome will have added some multiples of that to her value – and she collected €300,000 in winnings for good measure.