BRED and raced by Skara Glen Stables, the John Gosden-trained Shastye was a late developer, taking until her fourth start in October of her three-year-old year to run out a seven-length winner of a 13-furlong maiden at Lingfield.

A a Danehill (Danzig) half-sister at the time to a pair of Group 1 winners in Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Sagamix (Linamix) and Sagacity (Highest Honor), the potential value of some blacktype proved irresistible and she remained in training at four.

Winner first time out that year, Shastye was pitched in to stakes company and went down fighting, running second in a listed race over a mile and a half at Pontefract, beaten just a neck. Her best effort came after she was covered by Pivotal and in foal.

In 2005 the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Pivotal (Polar Falcon), was taking the world by storm. He was already sire of champion sprinter and fellow Nunthorpe Stakes winner Kyllachy, multiple Grade 1 winning mares Golden Apples and Megahertz, the Group 1 winning sprinter Somnus, the German classic winner Silvester Lady and Group 1 winner Chorist.

That year his daughters Peeress and Saoire also became Group 1 winners.

Shastye was sent to the Tattersalls December Sale in 2005 and John Warren signed the purchase slip for her at 625,000gns. It was the fifth-highest price paid for an in-foal mare at the sale that year, and three of the five were in foal to Cheveley Park’s Pivotal.

The Pivotal colt Shastye was carrying died at the age of two, never having raced. He was followed two years later by a Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) filly, Shabyt, and she went to stud unraced, but is the dam of the listed winner Shandoz (Golden Horn).

With such a stuttering start to Shastye’s stud career, including a barren year and a slipped foal, the massive investment by Newsells Park Stud was looking less than inspired perhaps.

Secret Gesture

Her next foal, a daughter by Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), was born in 2010 and named Secret Gesture. Unsold at 230,000gns as a yearling, she raced for Newsells Park until just before her bid for the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom, when Qatar Racing bought into her. She just failed to land the classic and was demoted from first to third in the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes, but the investment in her reaped rewards and she raced until the age of five, gaining her biggest win in the Group 2 Middleton Park Stakes at York. Secret Gesture was Group and Grade 1 placed in England, Germany, France and the USA and sold for $3.5 million.

Secret Gesture was followed a year later by Maurus (Medicean) who sold for €320,000 as a yearling. Sent to Australia, his seven victories included a pair of listed races and multiple group placings. With the emergence of Secret Gesture, there was plenty of interest in her full-brother when he appeared in the sale ring in 2013. Selling for 3,600,000gns to MV Magnier, Sir Isaac Newton (Galileo) won a Group 3 at the Curragh and a listed race at Royal Ascot.

Offspring of Shastye have continued to make an impact at the sales, the placed Secret Soul (Street Cry) selling for 800,000gns, and the unraced Secret Gaze (Galileo) realising 1,350,000gns.

Then along came Japan (Galileo) and he cost MV Magnier 1,300,000gns. The investment has reaped major dividends. Winner of more than £2 million, his seven victories include the Group 1 Juddmonte International and the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris.

Love affair

The Magnier’s love affair with Shastye and her offspring has continued, and they paid 3,400,000 twice more, for Mogul (Galileo) and the unraced three-year-old Skylark (Galileo). Mogul is well into his first season at stud, with winnings of £1.65 million and victories in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and Group 1 Hong Kong Vase.

Now Newsells Park is in possession of Shastye’s final offspring, a colt by Dubawi (Dubai Millennium). This is truly a Group 1 family. Shastye’s Group 2 winning half-sister Sage Et Jolie (Linamix), bred the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan winner Sageburg (Johannesburg), while their sibling Sagalina (Linamix) is dam of the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Sagawara (Shamardal).