The Danehill influence

The lasting influence of champion international stallion Danehill on Australian breeding is never more emphasised than by a study of yesterday’s results at Hawkesbury.

Sons of Danehill (USA) (b h 1986, Danzig (USA)–Razyana (USA), by His Majesty (USA)) sired six of the seven winners, and the odd one out being out of a daughter of the great stallion.

Danehill died in 2003 as a multiple champion sire in both hemispheres.

The Hawkesbury winners sired by sons of Danehill were:

Race 1. Dancing Doll (ch m 4, Danehill Dancer (IRE)–Nassi Doll, by Nassipour)

Race 2. Sir Prancer (b or br g 4, Danehill Dancer (IRE)–Prized Possession, by Canny Lad)

Race 3. Zuzela (b m 4, Redoute’s Choice–Zastov (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ))

Race 5: Layable (ch g 5., Lion Hunter–Payable, by Zeditave)

Race 6: Godfather (br g 4, Untouchable–More Natural, by Naturalism (NZ))

Race 7: Zafaaf (ch m 4, Flying Spur–First Celebration (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB))

But perhaps the most significant winner at Hawkesbury was the one winner not from a Danehill line stallion, Power And Glory, who scored an impressive debut win in race three, a 1000m maiden.

Power And Glory is a 3YO son of Elusive Quality from the brilliant race filly Crowned Glory, by Danehill from the Bletchingly mare Significant Moment. The Group 3 winning Crowned Glory is best known for her runner-up finish behind Belle Du Jour in the 2000 Group 1 Golden Slipper.

Crowned Glory comes from a famous family; her dam Significant Moment (b m 1990, ex-Lady Giselle (FR), by Nureyev (USA)) is one of only five sisters or half-sisters to Group 1 winner champion sire Zabeel (by Sir Tristram (IRE)) and the Group 1 winner Baryshnikov (by Kenmare (FR))

This is a female family – that also includes the Group1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners Detroit and her son Carnegie – that hasn’t been as productive in recent years in the breeding shed as the male side of the show.

Lady Giselle’s first daughter Mythraa (b m 1985, by Danzatore (USA)) died in 1996 after producing five foals of little consequence.

Charming Life (b m 1987, by Sir Tristram (IRE)) was exported to the USA in 1991 and then on to Europe from where she has been a good producer, leaving the Group-winning stayers Kingfisher Mill (by Riverman (USA)) and Wellbeing (by Sadler’s Wells (USA)).

The Gooree Park Stud-owned Significant Moment is Lady Giselle’s third filly and since producing a brother to Crowned Glory in 2001 – Significant Hill, now at stud in the Philippines – she has missed five times and produced only three foals; the inbred Carnegie filly Jannah (2003); Redoute’s Star (c 2006, by Redoute’s Choice), who is now in Hong Kong, and a Fastnet Rock filly in 2008.

In 1995, Lady Giselle produced a filly by Marscay (by Biscay), Prima, who is owned by Arrowfield Stud. Prima left four consecutive foals for Arrowfield between 1999 and 2002, but since then has produced only two foals after missing or slipping seven times – her 2005 colt by Redoute’s Choice is unnamed and in 2007 she produced a filly, named Entrée, by Snitzel.

Lady Giselle’s final filly foal, Mam’Selle Giselle (b m 1996, by Kenmare (FR)), also bred and owned by Arrowfield, died in 2007 after foaling a colt by Charge Forward (by Red Ransom (USA)). It was her fifth foal after leaving two moderate winners from coverings by Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur (two) and Hussonet.

Power And Glory, who was making his debut for Gooree and trainer Gai Waterhouse, is Crowned Glory’s fourth foal and her second winner. The gelding is similar in style to his mother, although a typical Elusive Quality late maturer.