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Progeny by champion sires Galileo and Dubawi played their part but it was Almanzor, the sensational French colt by emerging sire Wootton Bassett, who took centre stage on the stellar QIPCO Champions Day program at Ascot on Saturday.
With previous wins in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Irish Champion Stakes, Almanzor is being acclaimed as the best horse in Europe after beating a star-studded field of G1 winners including Galileo’s champion mare Found, the last start winner of Prix De l’Arc de Triomphe, in the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes.
His two lengths victory is the second time the Jean-Claude Rouget colt has beaten Found after overcoming Aidan O’Brien’s mare in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
Almanzor, bred from the Maria’s Mon mare Darkova by the Aga Khan’s Haras d’Etreham, was a €100,000 yearling purchase at 2014 Arqana August sale by Ecurie Antonio Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand and has now won eight of his 10 starts including three G1 races and more than $US3 million in stakes.Wootton Basset, a G1-winning son of the NZ-based shuttle sire Iffraaj, was unbeaten in five start at two and rated third in Europe behind Frankel and Dream Ahead.
Almanzor is a member of his first crop of only 18 runners producing nine winners. His progeny have won 21 races to date in France, Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark.Almanzor’s dam Darkova was a Listed winner and is a daughter of the Halling mare Darkare, a half-sister to the dam of the champion miler Darjina (Zamindar), winner of the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, G1 Prix du Moulin and G1 Prix d’Astarte.
Darkova has also produced a 2YO full-sister to Almanzor, a yearling colt by Falco and is again in foal to Wootton Basset.Almanzor’s maternal line descends from his fourth dam Daralinsha (Empery), second dam of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Darsi.
• GALILEO’s champion filly Minding made it six individual G1 winners in October for her sire with an authoritative victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day.Galileo has also sired G1 winners Alice Springs (Sun Chariot Stakes), Found (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe), Rhododendron (Fillies' Mile), Churchill (Dewhurst Stakes) and Photo Call (First Lady Stakes) since October 1.
Minding is herself is the winner of seven G1 races and has played a big part in Galileo’s prizemoney earnings in Europe in 2016 of more than £15 million.His other G1 stars this year include Highland Reel, Mondialiste, Order Of St George, Seventh Heaven and The Gurkha.
Minding was bred by Coolmore entity Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt from the Danehill Dancer mare Lillie Langtry, the winner of five races including the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Matron Stakes.
Lillie Langtry has produced nothing but fillies in all five matings with Galileo since retiring to stud. Her other progeny include the G3 winner Kissed by Angels and has a 2YO maiden filly who has been sold to race in the US, a yearling filly and a filly foal.The cross of Galileo over a Danehill Dancer mare is also responsible for G1 winners Alice Springs and The Gurkha.
Lillie Langtry is out of the unraced Darshaan mare Hoity Toity and is a half-sister to the Listed winner Count Of Limonade.Minding was rebounding from her third behind Almanzor and Found in last month’s G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and provided her trainer Aidan O’Brien with his 21st G1 win of the season when she won the QE II Stakes from G1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Ribchester (Iffraaj).
Minding is now the winner of eight of her 12 starts and prizemoney of $US3,129,760.No decision has yet been taken by owners Coolmore as to whether she will continue to race as a 4YO.
• DUBAWI mare Journey, runner-up to Simple Verse in last year’s G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, made no mistake at her second attempt at Ascot on Saturday to become her sire's 26th G1 winner.Bred and raced by George Strawbridge, the John Gosden-trained Journey brushed aside top class rivals to win by four lengths eased down under Frankie Dettori, beating Speedy Boarding (Shamardal).
Journey was bred from Montjeu mare Montare, a G1 Royal-Oak winner who also captured two renewals of the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris, the G2 Prix de Royallieu and was runner-up in the G1 Prix Vermeille.
A daughter of the Shirley Heights mare Contare, Montare has a yearling filly by Mastercraftsman and a colt foal by Oasis Dream.Journey has won six of her 13 starts and $US790,684.
• DUBAWI’s Doncaster Cup winner Sheikhzayedroad emerged best in a high class renewal of the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup, leaving odds on favourite Order Of St George a struggling fourth over the two mile trip.The much travelled 7YO has also been successful since 2014 in the G2 York Stakes, G1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine, G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy at Meydan and placed in the G1 Canadian International at Woodbine and G1 Ascot Gold Cup won by Order Of St George in June and G2 Goodwood Cup won by Melbourne Cup entry Big Orange in July.
He wore down G1 Prix Du Cadran winner Quest For More (Teofilo) in his previous start to win the Doncaster Cup and this was a replay as he worked his way past his old adversary in the 150 metres with last year’s G1 Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Simple Verse (Duke Of Marmalade) third.Sheikhzayedroad is out of the Highest Honour mare Royal Secrets, a daughter of the multiple Group Marble Maiden (Lead On Time).
Marble Maiden is also the dam of the Listed winner and Group-placed Vernoy (Forty Niner) and the G2 winner First City (Diktat) and G2 placed Sea Fox (Kodiac).
The family include the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Danseuse d’Etoile (Highest Honor) and the G2 winner Lelouch (Zenno Rob Roy).Royal Secrets has a 2YO filly by Kheleyf and a yearling filly by Shamardal.
• THE TIN MAN, a son of Victorian-based shuttler Equiano, went one better than his last start second in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup when he exacted revenge on that rival in Saturday’s G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint at Ascot.Equiano shuttles to Swettenham Stud and sired more than 30 winners from his two southern crops last season. He was Europe’s leading second season sire in 2015 and is leading the third season sires table in 2016.
Sold as a yearling for 80,000gns at the Tattersalls October Sale in 2013, The Tin Man is trained by James Fanshawe for Fred Archer racing and has won six of his 11 starts.He is Equiano's first G1 winner.
Bred from the Bishop Of Cashel mare Persario, The Tin Man is a half-brother to Fanshawe’s crack sprinter Deacon Blues (Compton Place) who won the inaugural running of this race when it was a G2 event in 2011.
Persario is also the dam of Fashawe’s G1 Lockinge Stakes runner-up Warningford (Warning), the stakes-placed Holley Shiftwell (Bahamian Bounty) and the 2YO Sepoy colt Hilario who won at Kempton last month.Persario also has a yearling filly by Sepoy and a colt foal by Poet’s Voice.