Demolition Derby

I am still trying to get my head around Harbinger’s 11-length demolition of his high-class rivals in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2400m) at Ascot on Saturday.

How is it that a horse making his first appearance in a Group 1 – at his ninth start – can treat his opposition with such contempt? And these were not ordinary rivals either, but the best horses in Europe.

Behind Harbinger were, in order, the Group 1 Irish Derby winner Cape Blanco, three-times Arc runner-up Youmzain, 2009 Group 1 Hong Kong Vase winner Daryakana, Group 1 Epsom Derby winner, and stablemate, Workforce, and Confront, also a stablemate, who did his job as pacemaker.

To quote British journalist Rolf Johnstone in the Sunday Express: “(Harbinger’s) nostrils were the only part of him extended at Ascot.”

I can only deduce that not only is Harbinger very smart and improving, but also his rivals maybe grossly overrated – even allowing for the fact that the two Derby winners may have peaked at their Derby quests.

Before the King George, Harbinger had a soft lead-up win in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes (2400m) at Royal Ascot, after untouched Group 3 wins at Newbury (2400m) and Chester (2600m). Impressive, dominant performances, but nothing to suggest he could win a King George by a widening 11 lengths.

However, he went into the race fit, fresh and firing, and with the polish that we expect of his master trainer Sir Michael Stoute.

Harbinger is a 4YO entire by Danehill’s exceptional sire-son Dansili (b h 1996, ex-Hasili (FR), by Kahyasi (IRE)) from the French mare Penang Pearly, by Bering (GB). He cost owner Highclere Thoroughbreds, England’s high-end syndication group, 180,000 guineas ($294,364) as a yearling – VRC committeeman Peter Barnett is part of the Hartbinger syndicate.

In an interesting twist, Workforce’s owner Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms owns Dansili and stands him at his Cheverley farm, near Newmarket (UK). Dansili has had a big week, also siring two Group 3 winners at Leopardstown and a Listed winner at the Curragh.

Dansili was placed in Group 1 company five times without a win, but at stud he has been exceptional, siring six Group 1 winners, including the 2006 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Rail Link.

The impeccably-bred Dansili is from the wonder broodmare Hasili – the Eight Carat of Europe – who, apart from Dansili, has produced five Group 1 winners, four by Danehill (Banks Hill, Intercontinental, Cacique, Champs Elysees) and one by Green Desert (USA) (Heat Haze), a son of Danehill’s sire Danzig (USA).

Australia has had a chance to tap into the Dansili phenomenon, as a number of mares were imported in foal to the stallion in early 2007. The result was 10 yearlings by Dansili going through this year’s Australian and New Zealand yearling sales.

Eight of those youngsters were sold at an average of $92,812.50. The top-priced Dansili yearling was sold at Karaka (New Zealand) to the bid of Peter Moody for $NZ240,000 – a colt from Delilah, a Group 3-winning mare by Bluebird (USA).

Trainer Colin Little paid $160,000 for a filly from Mizzle (USA) (by Hansel (USA)) from the Yarraman Park draft at Inglis Easter, while Ingham Racing paid the same amount for a colt at the Magic Millions Gold Coast from the Warning (GB) mare Infringe (GB).

Only two of Dansili’s progeny have raced in Australia – Sieger Sieger (b g 2004), from the Black Tie (USA) mare Black Velvet (USA), was sold as a yearling to Mark Pilkington for $100,000 at the 2006 Magic Millions Summer Sale, before winning five provincial races, while Danefield (b g 2003, ex-Cupids Charm (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)), claimed only a lowly Cessnock maiden win in 12 starts.

Footnote: Dansili’s half-brother Raise The Flag (GB), by Sadler’s Wells (USA), will make his stud debut at the famed White Robe Lodge, Otago, on New Zealand’s south island, a a fee of $NZ4000. Raise The Flag was unplaced in his only start, but he will stand at the stud that also launched the stud careers of two of New Zealand’s greatest sires, Mellay (GB) and Noble Bijou (USA), who both retired unraced, but with wonderful, international pedigrees.

Mellay (1961, by Never Say Die (USA)) was out of the Epsom Oaks winner Meld (by Alycidon (GB)), who also produced the Epsom Derby winner Charlottown (GB). Mellay was twice New Zealand’s champion stallion.

Noble Bijou (1971, by Vaguely Noble (IRE), was out of Priceless Gem (USA) (by Hail To Reason (USA)), the dam of champion filly Allez France, who won 11 Group 1 races, including the 1974 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Noble Bijou sired 65 Stakes winners (10 Group 1s).

Photo: Harbinger in full flight winning the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot (photo: Highclere.co.uk).