ITS ALL ABOUT DANZIG AT NEWMARKET

There is no better example of the dominance of the Danzig (pictured) line in Europe (in particular Britain and Ireland) as it was responsible for no fewer than five of the seven (71%) stakes winners at Newmarket’s mid-summer July week three-day racing festival. Not only that but all of the sires of these stakes winners stand at the either Darley and Coolmore, arguably the two most influential and powerful stallion operations worldwide.

The first of these stakes winners was Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s Memory who followed up her Royal Ascot Albany Stakes (Gr 3) win with a equally impressive victory in the Cherry Hinton Stakes (Gr 2). This daughter of Coolmore’s Danehill Dancer, a grandson of Danzig via Danehill, is bred on a Danehill/Sharpen cross which is the same cross as Danehill Dancer is bred on. Therefore Memory is line-bred 3x3 to Sharpen Up. Danehill Dancer has also Anna Pavlova (Gr 2) and English Ballet (Gr 3) when bred back to the Sharpen Up line. Memory was also Danehill Dancer is not only a top-class sire but he is a very reliable of juvenile speed as Memory is one of his many stakes winners in this age category which also includes Group 1 Mastercraftsman, Again, Alfred Noble and Miss Beatrix. Choisir gave Danehill Dancer further success at Newmarket as he sired the big winner of the meeting with his July Cup (Gr 1) winner Starspangledbanner. Not only is Choisir, who complete the Royal Ascot King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 2) and Golden Jubilee (Gr 1) double in 2003, also a resident of of Coolmore but Starspangledbanner is also his first Gr 1 winner when he won the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1) in 2009.

Wednesday, the middle day of the meeting gave Danzig son’s Librettist stakes winner when the first season sire’s Libranno, a home-bred, won the July Stakes (Gr 1). Librettist a Darley stallion who has been standing at Haras du Logis for the last two seasons having stood his first years at Dalham Hall Stud. Success for Librettist in his first season was certainly not guaranteed despite being a Danzig duel Gr 1 winner at four-years. This is due to his half-brother to Dubai Destination (Kingmambo) appearing to be disappointing at stud and thus moved to Glenview Stud for the 2010 season from Darley. Librettist has made a promising start to his stud career with six winners to date and the difference between the success of him and his half-brother can purely be attributed to the fact the it is the influence of the Danzig sire-line.

Wednesday also saw one of Europe’s leading sires proved why Cape Cross (Green Desert) is the sire he is. His progressive colt Corsica proved too strong in the Bahrain Trophy (Gr 3) over 13 furlongs. Darley’s Cape Cross, who stands at Kildargan Stud, is from the Green Desert branch of the Danzig line and has now sired 42 stakes winners to date which includes the great Sea The Stars.

The final Danzig line stakes winner of the meeting was by another Coolmore sire, in Oratorio. This son of Danehill gave Richard Hannon a full set of three juvenile stakes winners (having also trained Libranno and Memory) when King Torus won the Superlative Stakes (Gr 2) by a neck from the eye-catching Ecliptic (Kingmambo). King Torus is from the second crop of three times Group 1 winner who sired both juvenile stakes winners Beethoven, in the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1), and Big Audio, in the Chesham Stakes (L), from his first crop. Oratorio is certainly making a good start to his stud career as to date he has sired five stakes winners worldwide which includes New Zealand’s Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr 1) winner Banchee. CWC