Machiavellian recovers lost ground

Australian breeders had every reason to be wary of Machiavellian as a sire of sires after his first imported son Vettori, despite some good management at Baramul Stud, proved a disappointing stallion.

Vettori, winner of the 1995 Group 1 French 2000 Guineas, stood five seasons in Australia between 1996 and 2000, covering 466 mares and leaving only six Stakes winners.

Incredibly, one of those Stakes winners, the ageless Mustard, now 13 and from Vettori’s \first crop, continues to win races in Sydney.

It was a long time before another Machiavellian son made it to Australia, but that stallion, Street Cry, has erased the Vettori experience. Street Cry is something of a phenomenon and is now regarded as the best stallion in the world. He certainly gets my tick.

Street Cry is the best-performed son of Machiavellian, having won the 2002 Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba, a feat achieved in 1999 by another Machiavellian son, Almuwakatel, who stood at stud in New Zealand for very ordinary results.

Last Saturday, Machiavellian had a significant impact on racing in Sydney and Melbourne.

Street Cry’s sensational 2009 Melbourne Cup winning son Shocking showed he is more than just a stayer by winning the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes (wfa, 1600m) at Flemington.

In Sydney, Lion Tamer (pictured winning in New Zealand) overcame difficulties to win the Listed Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) at Randwick for New Zealand trainers Murray and Bjorn Baker.

Lion Tamer is a neat son of Storming Home, who came from Street Cry’s Machiavellian crop foaled in 1998. Storming Home, a three-time Group 1 winner, stood for one season in New Zealand at Stoney Bridge, near Auckland, after shuttling from England where he stands at the Nunnery.

Storming Home began racing in England, winning the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot at three, before training on to win the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket.

In North America, Storming Home won the Group 1 Charles Whittingham Memorial at Hollywood Park and the Group 1 Turf Championship at Oak Tree.

Storming Home covered 52 mares at Stoney Bridge, who delivered only 34 foals.

Lion Tamer is from the Generous mare Lioness, a granddaughter of the great staying mare My Blue Denim, who finished second behind Beldale Ball in the 1980 Group 1 Melbourne Cup.

Machiavellian, by Mr. Prospector from the in-bred mare Coup De Folie (by Halo), is closely related to Danehill from the family of the great Northern Dancer – Coup De Folie boasts the half-sisters Cosmah  and Natalma (dam of Northern Dancer and granddam of Danehill) as her grandams.

This is a family that has bred well to itself to not only produce Danehill but also many other champions and leading stallions. Shocking is from a Danehill mare.

Machiavellian’s other successful son “down under” is the Waikato Stud-based No Excuse Needed, the sire of the 2009 Group 1 AJC Oaks winner Daffodil. It’s interesting that No Excuse Needed also came from Machiavellian’s 1998 crop.