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).

El Stupendo, the 3YO brother to champion El Segundo (pictured), looked every bit a star in the making when he powered home to win at his second race start, today at Geelong.

El Stupendo, unlike the dark bay El Segundo, who retired earlier this year, is a rich chestnut. Both horses are by Pins from the Oak Ridge mare, Palos Verdes.

Trainer Colin Little prepared El Segundo to win 12 races and $3.9 million in stakes. The heavily-built gelding, who cost $NZ140,000 as a yearling at Karaka (NZ), won eight Stakes races, including four at Group 1 level. His most important win came in 2007 when he won the Cox Plate (wfa 2040m).

Little was given El Stupendo to train by his breeders.

Like El Stupendo, El Segundo started humbly, recording his first win as a March 3YO at Cranbourne in 2005. He won his first Group 1 win later that year when he beat Fields Of Omagh in the Yalumba Stakes (wfa 2000m, Caulfield).

El Stupendo has a similar, long low action to his brother. He also possesses a sharp burst of speed when ridden quietly.

It been almost a year since the affable and popular Little lost his wife Jacquie to a long battle with cancer. Few people will begrudge him another good horse and he looks like he has found one.

Trainer Tony Vasil may have found himself a spring contender in the nicely-bred colt, Intencion, an impressively debut winner on the all-weather at Geelong today.

Intencion (Spanish for intention), ridden by Glen Boss – who had been cleared of a suspected broken bone in the foot from an incident at Sandown the previous afternoon –  beat a pretty handy mid-winter field of 3YOs, including the promising runner-up Massivo (by Mossman), a first starter for Danny O’Brien. Both horses look to have a bright future in better races.

The Vasil stable regards Intencion as horse that could measure up to spring standard – Vasil’s racing manager Sam Doran was quick to “twitter” after the race … “you might see him in the spring”.

It’s not uncommon for spring horses to emerge in the winter and be contenders for the early spring features, and Vasil has done it before – prime examples being the outstanding half-brothers Elvstroem and Haradasun.

Boss was effusive about the colt when speaking on TVN. “This is a real nice horse,” he said.

“He seems like he has a bit of presence about him. He’s got a really good action and he’s well educated, but on the other hand he’s still very raw. He would have held them off for another lap, he was just kidding to them.

“This is a horse you can probably stick with and follow – he’s going to win a fair few races.”

The heavily backed Intencion ($2.30 – $1.85) is a son of top sire Commands (by Danehill (USA)) from Acupuncture, a well-related mare by Pins (by Snippets) – this could be one of the first high-quality runners to emerge from a Pins mare.

This is the same Danehill line over Snippets line that also has produced the brilliant Group 1-winning sprinters (and now sires at Eliza Park) Wanted (by Fastnet Rock from a Snippets mare) and Magnus (by Flying Spur from a Snippets mare).

Interestingly, Intencion’s spring campaign could mirror that of Pins, who made his debut in 1999 as a July 2YO, runner second at his first start on a heavy track at Canterbury, before winning on that track next time out in August.

The following month Pins won the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1400m, Randwick) and two weeks later finished his campaign with a creditable fifth behind Redoute’s Choice (Testa Rossa was second, Commands third) in one of the highest-rated Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m, Caulfield) in history.

Pins returned to Melbourne in the autumn to win the Triple Crown bonus, taking out the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (1600m, Moonee Valley), Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m, Caulfield) and Group 1 Australian Guineas (then 2000m, Flemington).

Intencion cost his owner, Masatsugu Otani, a Japanese based in Singapore, $200,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Premier Yearling Sale. The colt was offered by Willow Park Stud, near Scone.

Acupuncture is an unraced mare from the speedy Quack, by Magic Ring (USA) from the former brilliant mare and good broodmare Mother Duck (by Luskin Star from Mission, by Vain).

Mother Duck won four times at Stakes level, including the 1986 Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m, Randwick) and the 1987 Listed The Shorts (1100m, Randwick).

She hasn’t produced a Stakes winner at stud, but Quack is the dam of the well-named 2009 Nitschke Stakes winner Pricked (by Thorn Park).

A study of Intencion, pictured as a yearling, shows he is very much in the Pins/Snippets mould – a bay with powerful quarters, strong forearm and gaskins, and short cannons. He also has Pins’ white snip on his nose.

Lexdane broke through for his first win at his fifth start today at Belmont (WA), but it’s his pedigree that attracts the most interest.

Lexdane is a bay colt by Danewin from the Sackford mare Sister Klaire. He is in-bred to equine royalty; the family founded by Cambridge Stud’s wonder mare Eight Carat (GB), who is Danewin’s granddam.

Eight Carat (pictured) also is the dam of champion colts Octogonal, Mouawad, Kaapstad (14 Group 1 wins between them) and the star Group 1-winning fillies Diamond Lover and Marquise. The great mare also is the granddam of Commands (Danewin’s brother) and Diamond Lover’s three Group 1 winners Don Eduardo, Peruzzi and Tristalove (the dam of the Group 1 winner Viking Ruler).

Lexdane’s dam Sister Klaire is from the imported mare Great-Grandaughter (GB), a daughter of Great Nephew (GB) and Klairessa (GB), the dam of Eight Carat.

Lexdane was sold, from the Emirates Park draft, for $50,000 to WA trainer Kylie Dowling at the 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Premier Yearling Sale.

Australian racing lost one of its enduring champions when Zeditave died, just short of his 25^th birthday, late last week.

Zeditave (ch h 1985, The Judge-Summoned, by Crowned Prince (USA)) was euthanased after suffering a serious colic attack at Newhaven Park Stud, Boorowa, near Yass in south-west NSW – his home of 21 years.

Zeditave’s passing also ends a long and successful association between Newhaven Park and champion stallions. Newhaven’s Richard Kelly said Zeditave is the last stallion to stand at the famous farm, which will now concentrate on its future as a private broodmare farm.

Newhaven Park has been associated with champion stallions Wilkes (FR), imported in 1954, and more recently the Golden Slipper winners Luskin Star and Marauding (NZ).

“I think it’s fair to say Zeditave’s death is the end of an era for us,” Richard Kelly told AAP.”We decided some time ago not to stand stallions anymore because it has become quite expensive. It costs 10 to 20 million dollars now to secure a top stallion.”

Last season, Zeditave covered 25 mares at Newhaven, but Kelly reports that the horse has “probably his best crop of foals” rising two after the stud used him on all its quality mares – 43 in total – during the equine influenza lock down in 2007.

Zeditave’s stud record is as imposing as his race performance – he won 15 of his 17 starts, including five Group 1 races. At stud, he has sired 35 Stakes winners, which is an outstanding result for a horse that stood away from the major breeding region of the Hunter Valley, and also considering not once in 21 seasons did he cover more than 91 mares – in fact, he averaged only 62 mares a season in his stud career.

Zeditave’s Group 1 winners are Assertive Lad (Doncaster Handicap) and his sister Assertive Lass (Flight Stakes and Coolmore Classic), Strategic (Australia Stakes), Typhoon Zed (The Galaxy and Manikato Stakes), Sports (Oakleigh Plate and Lightning Stakes), Chlorophyll (Coolmore Classic) and Ruffles (Newmarket Handicap).

His sons at stud – Strategic, Magic Albert and Zedrich – are continuing the legacy of the sire line, while he is the sire of the dams of champion gallopers Reset (Zabeel-Assertive Lass) and Sacred Kingdom (Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie).

Zeditave was the last great horse trained by the legendary Melbourne horseman Angus Armanasco, who also fostered the racing careers of champion stallions Biscay (by Star Kingdom (IRE)), Bletchingly (Biscay) and Zeditave’s underrated sire The Judge, a son of Showdown (GB).

Newhaven Park was founded in the 1940s by the Kelly family and in 1986 listed on the Australian Stock Exchange under the ownership of the Kellys and the Ingham brothers, Jack and Bob.

In 2003, the Newhaven partnership sold its stud and bloodstock interests to concentrate on his hotel and leisure businesses. Fred Kelly and his family took a majority of the hotel side of the enterprise, while Richard Kelly and his son John acquired Newhaven as a family-run thoroughbred and livestock entity.

The Kellys now have around 50 mares on the property, which will continue to be bred to the best stallions in the country.

Don’t be surprised if Coolmore springs a surprise by not returning its new sprint star Starspangledbanner to Australia for the 2010 breeding season.

Starspangledbanner (ch c 2006, Choisir-Gold Anthem, by Made Of Gold (USA)) has almost a full book of mares at a debut fee of $33,000 (inc. GST) – he is due back in Australia after the Group 1 July Cup (1200m), run at Newmarket on July 9.

There is a very strong chance that, should Starspangledbanner win or run well in the July Cup, the Coolmore hierarchy will aim the colt for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs on November 5-6. That will eliminate him from the Australian breeding season that starts on September 1.

I believe Coolmore’s Australian arm is already considering contingency plans if that is the case.

A win in the July Cup, over racing’s toughest undulating straight course, will likely lift Starspangedbanner’s rating to the top sprinter in the world – he currently sits second behind Hong Kong’s Sacred Kingdom.

At this stage, after his dominant Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) win at Royal Ascot, the Australian-bred colt is a firm favourite to take the double.

It is obvious that trainer Aidan O’Brien or senior owner John Magnier will seek to increase the value of Coolmore’s new star by aiming for the Breeders’ Cup, where the options are the $US2 million Sprint (1200m, Dirt), the $US1 million Turf Sprint (1000m) and perhaps the $US2 million Turf Mile (1600m), considering the son of Choisir has already won a Group 1 at that distance in Australia (the 2009 Caulfield Guineas).

The July Cup also will include the Australian-bred and trained Nicconi (by Bianconi), with Australian champion jockey Damien Oliver replacing international star Frankie Dettori, and Alverta (by Flying Spur). Nicconi will fly back to Australia on the stallion shuttle to cover his first book at Widden Stud at a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST).

Pictured: Starspangledbanner winner the 2009 Group 1 Caulfield Guineas. (Bruno Cannatelli).

I was home on Sunday watching a race at Warrnambool when a horse of modest form, by Coolmore’s ex-shuttler Footstepsinthesand, came on to the screen. I muttered what a distinct disappointment the unbeaten Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas (1600m, Newmarket, UK) winner had been at stud, especially in Australia.

Blow me down, the next day Footstepsinthesand (pictured) sired the first two winners of the day – two well-named youngsters, who broke their maidens at Echuca and Muswellbrook.

Ballydoyle (f 2, ex-Whistles ’n’ Bells, by Danzero), trained by Chris Hyland, debuted with a win at Echuca; at Muswellbrook, Beachcomber (g 3, ex-Kashcrop (NZ), by Kashani (USA)) broke through at his third start for trainer Kris Lees.

Foostepsinthesand (br or blk h 2002, Giant’s Causeway (USA)-Glatisant (GB), by Rainbow Quest (USA)) stood at Coolmore in the Hunter Valley for two seasons, covering 101 mares in 2005 but only 65 in his second stint in 2006. Coolmore saw that the writing on the barn door and has since kept him off the shuttle express.

Despite his unbeaten record from only two starts and a Classic to his name, Australian breeders didn’t warm to Footstepsinthesand. He wasn’t a robust stallion and he had the Giant’s Causeway legacy of offset knees – inherited from Giant’s Causeway’s sire Storm Cat. Footstepsinthesand remains on Coolmore’s roster in Ireland, where he is the sire of the 2010 Group 2 Railway Stakes (1200m, The Curragh) winner Formosina.

Footstepsinthesand is not the first Two Thousand Guineas winner to fail to have an impact as a sire in Australia – in fact, there’s a long list. Before him came Darley’s Refuse To Bend (by Sadler’s Wells (USA)) and King’s Best (Kingmambo (USA)), Coolmore’s King Of Kings (Sadler’s Wells (USA)) and Independent Stallions’ Tirol (Thatching (IRE)). New Zealand, too, wasn’t exempt from Guineas winning stud failures, headed by Entrepreneur (by Sadler’s Wells (USA)) and Rodrigo de Triano (El Gran Senor (USA)).

On the other side of the ledger, Guineas winners Rock Of Gibraltar (by Danehill (USA)) and Golan (by Spectrum (IRE)) have done a sound job in the southern breeding barns.

The most recent Two Thousand Guineas winner to come to Australia is Coolmore’s Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo (USA)), whose first foals (from 144 mares covered) will be born in 2010. Henrythenavigator stands this coming breeding season at a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST).