It has not been hard to notice, in Britain and Ireland, the success of the sires Royal Applause (Waajib) and his descendents Acclamation (Royal Applause), Dark Angel (Acclamation) and Majestic Missile (Royal Applause). The latest of these successes were on Saturday at Ascot when Acclamation sired stakes juvenile double with Angels Will Fall winning the Princess Margaret Stakes (Gr 3) and Talwar proving the best in Winkfield Stakes (L).
This sire line is proving to be a speedy precocious line. However its beginning is not at Royal Applause, but at his grand-sire, Try My Best, who was from one of the most influential families in the modern era.
Try My Best’s grand-dam, Best In Show (Traffic Judge), who was bred by Phillip Connors, proved to be one of golden matriarchs of the 20th Century. Here descendents not only include Try My Best, a Champion two-year-old, but also his brother El Gran Senor as well as other Champions such as Spinning World (Nureyev) , Xaar (Zafonic) and Blush With Pride. Try My Best (and El Gran Senor) were out of Best In Show’s first foal, the Buckpasser mare Sex Appeal, who had been unraced. Try My Best, who was purchased for $185,000 as a yearling and was trained by Vincent O’Brien for his 1977 for his juvenile season. Winning his maiden in September, at Phoenix Park, by seven lengths, Try My Best then headed to Larkspur Stakes at Leopardstown two week later where he was equally as impressive with a smart turn of foot to win convincingly. Timeform’s Racehorses 1977 described the performance with “Murphy (jockey) having little more to do than sit and steer.” It was then onto the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1), at Newmarket, in October. With Lester Piggott in the saddle, Try My Best again showed tremendous speed to sweep past the field, which included the leading two-year-olds of 1977, to win going way. Not only was Try My Best the leading two-year-old in England and Ireland, with a Timeform figure of 130p.
With this, Try My Best entered the 1978 season as strong favourite for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and rightly so. Having won his trial, the Vauxhall Trial Stakes, at Phoenix Park, by only two lengths, it was felt he did not act well on the dead ground. Not only had his last two wins as a two-year-old on firm going but Try My Best also had an action that suited that surface. However, Try My Best headed to Newmarket, where again the going came up soft. It was clear that he did not act again on this going as he finished last of 19 runners. Try My Best never raced again and was retired to Coolmore Stud and certainly had an attractive pedigree of the time. Not only was he by Northern Dancer, the same sire as Nijinsky, The Minstrel, Northfields and Lyphard, but his half-sister Solar (Halo) was an unbeaten juvenile filly in Ireland at the time (having won both Gr 3’s Railway and Park Stakes) and his dam’s half-sister, Malinowski (Sir Ivor), was the best two-year-old filly in Ireland in 1975.
As a sire Try My Best sired 24 stakes winners. Not only did these include the Gr 1 winners Last Tycoon (sire of 69 stakes winners including successful sire Marju) and My Best Valentine, but also the 1988 Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 2) winner Waajib. Of the 19 stakes winner Waajib sired, Royal Applause was undoubtedly his leading one. As a two-year-old Royal Applause was rated the second top rated two-year-old of Europe in 1995, to Alhaarth, with a Timeform figure of 123p, having won the Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1), Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 2) and the Coventry Stakes (Gr 3). Competing as a sprinter at three-years is always hard and as a result Royal Applause only picked up a conditions win. Kept in training as four-year-old his trainer, Barry Hill, certainly got the best out of him. He was crowned the Champion older sprinter in Europe in 1997 having won Haydock Park Sprint Cup (Gr 1), Cork and Orrery Stakes (Gr 3) and Duke Of York Stakes (Gr 3).
Since retiring to the Royal Studs for the 1998 breeding season Royal Applause has proved to be consistent sire having sired 39 stakes winners. These stakes winners consist to have many of the same qualities that he processed in being precocious juveniles and sprinters. One of these sprinters was Acclamation, who won the Diadem Stakes (Gr 3) in 2003. Since retiring to stud in 2004 Acclamation has proved to a really smart sire of juveniles. He was Champion first season sire in 2007 and is the sire of 11 stakes winners and is currently leading sire of two-year-old in Britain and Ireland with 15 winners.
Dark Angel, one of Acclamation’s two Gr 1 winners, is also now making a real name for himself as a freshman sire. Having won the Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1), Mill Reef Stakes (Gr 2) and valuable sales race at York in 2007 Dark Angel was retired to stud (as Holy Roman Emperor did a year before). This proved a shrewd decision as Dark Angel is currently leading the European first season sire’s list with 16 winner from 47 runners (34%), which includes the Listed winner Lily’s Angel and group-placed Tough As Nails.
Another son of Royal Applause who is helping this Try My Best sire line enjoy success is three time Gr 3 winning sprinter Majestic Missile. Having won the Molecombe Stakes and Cornwallis Stakes at two Majestic Missile added two further stakes races at three and four years to earn a place at stud. Since having his first runners last in 2010 Majestic Missile to is starting prosper as sire. His three stakes winners to date include the recent Sweet Mimosa Stakes (L) winner Katla and Majestic Myles, who won the City Plate (L), at Chester, in early July.
With Acclamation’s other Gr 1 winner, the dual King’s Stand Stakes winner and Gr 2 winning two-year-old, Equiano, having been heavily supported in his first season at Newsells Park Stud the future looks very bright for emergence of a new branch of the Northern Dancer line, which is so needed in Europe to compete with the dominance of Danehill and Sadler’s Wells. CWC
This sire line is proving to be a speedy precocious line. However its beginning is not at Royal Applause, but at his grand-sire, Try My Best, who was from one of the most influential families in the modern era.
Try My Best’s grand-dam, Best In Show (Traffic Judge), who was bred by Phillip Connors, proved to be one of golden matriarchs of the 20th Century. Here descendents not only include Try My Best, a Champion two-year-old, but also his brother El Gran Senor as well as other Champions such as Spinning World (Nureyev) , Xaar (Zafonic) and Blush With Pride. Try My Best (and El Gran Senor) were out of Best In Show’s first foal, the Buckpasser mare Sex Appeal, who had been unraced. Try My Best, who was purchased for $185,000 as a yearling and was trained by Vincent O’Brien for his 1977 for his juvenile season. Winning his maiden in September, at Phoenix Park, by seven lengths, Try My Best then headed to Larkspur Stakes at Leopardstown two week later where he was equally as impressive with a smart turn of foot to win convincingly. Timeform’s Racehorses 1977 described the performance with “Murphy (jockey) having little more to do than sit and steer.” It was then onto the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1), at Newmarket, in October. With Lester Piggott in the saddle, Try My Best again showed tremendous speed to sweep past the field, which included the leading two-year-olds of 1977, to win going way. Not only was Try My Best the leading two-year-old in England and Ireland, with a Timeform figure of 130p.
With this, Try My Best entered the 1978 season as strong favourite for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and rightly so. Having won his trial, the Vauxhall Trial Stakes, at Phoenix Park, by only two lengths, it was felt he did not act well on the dead ground. Not only had his last two wins as a two-year-old on firm going but Try My Best also had an action that suited that surface. However, Try My Best headed to Newmarket, where again the going came up soft. It was clear that he did not act again on this going as he finished last of 19 runners. Try My Best never raced again and was retired to Coolmore Stud and certainly had an attractive pedigree of the time. Not only was he by Northern Dancer, the same sire as Nijinsky, The Minstrel, Northfields and Lyphard, but his half-sister Solar (Halo) was an unbeaten juvenile filly in Ireland at the time (having won both Gr 3’s Railway and Park Stakes) and his dam’s half-sister, Malinowski (Sir Ivor), was the best two-year-old filly in Ireland in 1975.
As a sire Try My Best sired 24 stakes winners. Not only did these include the Gr 1 winners Last Tycoon (sire of 69 stakes winners including successful sire Marju) and My Best Valentine, but also the 1988 Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 2) winner Waajib. Of the 19 stakes winner Waajib sired, Royal Applause was undoubtedly his leading one. As a two-year-old Royal Applause was rated the second top rated two-year-old of Europe in 1995, to Alhaarth, with a Timeform figure of 123p, having won the Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1), Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 2) and the Coventry Stakes (Gr 3). Competing as a sprinter at three-years is always hard and as a result Royal Applause only picked up a conditions win. Kept in training as four-year-old his trainer, Barry Hill, certainly got the best out of him. He was crowned the Champion older sprinter in Europe in 1997 having won Haydock Park Sprint Cup (Gr 1), Cork and Orrery Stakes (Gr 3) and Duke Of York Stakes (Gr 3).
Since retiring to the Royal Studs for the 1998 breeding season Royal Applause has proved to be consistent sire having sired 39 stakes winners. These stakes winners consist to have many of the same qualities that he processed in being precocious juveniles and sprinters. One of these sprinters was Acclamation, who won the Diadem Stakes (Gr 3) in 2003. Since retiring to stud in 2004 Acclamation has proved to a really smart sire of juveniles. He was Champion first season sire in 2007 and is the sire of 11 stakes winners and is currently leading sire of two-year-old in Britain and Ireland with 15 winners.
Dark Angel, one of Acclamation’s two Gr 1 winners, is also now making a real name for himself as a freshman sire. Having won the Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1), Mill Reef Stakes (Gr 2) and valuable sales race at York in 2007 Dark Angel was retired to stud (as Holy Roman Emperor did a year before). This proved a shrewd decision as Dark Angel is currently leading the European first season sire’s list with 16 winner from 47 runners (34%), which includes the Listed winner Lily’s Angel and group-placed Tough As Nails.
Another son of Royal Applause who is helping this Try My Best sire line enjoy success is three time Gr 3 winning sprinter Majestic Missile. Having won the Molecombe Stakes and Cornwallis Stakes at two Majestic Missile added two further stakes races at three and four years to earn a place at stud. Since having his first runners last in 2010 Majestic Missile to is starting prosper as sire. His three stakes winners to date include the recent Sweet Mimosa Stakes (L) winner Katla and Majestic Myles, who won the City Plate (L), at Chester, in early July.
With Acclamation’s other Gr 1 winner, the dual King’s Stand Stakes winner and Gr 2 winning two-year-old, Equiano, having been heavily supported in his first season at Newsells Park Stud the future looks very bright for emergence of a new branch of the Northern Dancer line, which is so needed in Europe to compete with the dominance of Danehill and Sadler’s Wells. CWC
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