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One of the most spectacular performances in England in recent years was the 11 lengths win in 2400m course record time by the Dansili stallion Harbinger in the 2010 edition of the revered wfa test, the King George V1 & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Now standing at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, Harbinger turned in what was described as 'a devastating performance that will live long in memory.'
It was one that added to the stature of Dansili as one of the stand out sires got by Danehill from his use in Ireland.
Now on a $100,000 plus fee in England, Dansili's reputation has also been enhanced by the performances of many of his other offspring, including Rail Link ( won 2006 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Grand Prix de Paris), Zambezi Sun (Grand Prix de Paris by five lengths), Proviso (four G1s win in US), Passage Of Time (G1 winner in France), Zoffany (leading Irish 2YO of 2010) and Strategic Prince (another prominent 2YO).
The sire dynasty founded by Dansili, the joint top rated miler in Europe in 2000, is only in its infancy but has got off to an encouraging start in 2011 with three of his sons represented by first crop juvenile winners.
Two of them are Strategic Prince, sire of 17 winners headed by Irish G1 winner La Collina, and Rail Link, the source of winners England, France and Italy.
The ability of Dansili to get talented performers from 1000m to 3200m and his qualifications as a superior son of Danehill in a different environment, suggests his sons could be good propositions as sires in Australia and New Zealand.
They include Illustrious Blue, a 2003 foaled English stallion who has been retired after campaigns in both hemispheres including a ninth in the 2010 Melbourne Cup.
He was imported by Hunter Valley based Australian Bloodstock, the same operators who secured third in this year's Cup with another importation Lucas Cranach.
Earner of $891,893, Illustrious Blue performed well in the UK, Dubai and Europe from the equivalent of 1400m to 3200m, s winning 10 races including seven at Goodwood.
At three in England he won five races and won over 1800m in Dubai first up at four.
He crowned his European career by taking three important staying events, the historic G2 Goodwood Cup (3200m), G3 Goodwood Glorious Stakes (2400m) and G3 Ascot Sagaro Stakes (3200m).
In the Goodwood Cup he trounced the 2007 Melbourne Cup runner up Purple Moon by four lengths.
A half-brother to five winners, Illustrious Blue is bred on the cross of two first class milers as his dam Gypsy Moss, a stakes winner of four races at 1045m or less, is by Forli's grandson Efisio, a winner of eight races to 1600m in England and Italy where he was champion older miler.
Another Efisio mare went to the Danehill sire Danetime and produced Bushranger, a champion juvenile in Europe in 2008.
Illustrious Blue's grandam Rock The Boat was a half-sister to the stakes winners Rock City (seven wins) and Kerrera (G3 winner, second English One Thousand Guineas).
Each of the first four dams have produced stakes winners and the fifth, Rosy Dolly, is a half-sister to Dante, the 1945 English Derby winner and subsequently an influential sire.
Now owned by a syndicate managed by Belhus Racing, Illustrious Blue is currently in Western Australia and is available to stand at stud in 2012 on lease in Australia or New Zealand.