by Helen Coughlan

There is no doubting the international influence of Danehill, both as a sire and sire of sires. With so many sons of Danehill being given their chance to continue their sire's line at stud, it is important for broodmare owners to be well-informed and very selective when assessing the potential of the Danehill sires.

When it comes to pedigree analysis, there is little doubt that first season sire Irish Royal would rank with the best bred sons of Danehill in either hemisphere.

Irish Royal, who commenced stud duties at Lyndhurst Stud at Warwick this season is from a Roberto mare, from a Klairon mare from a Never Say Die mare from a Hyperion mare.

Now that is probably enough to be going on with, but add to this some of the close relations of Irish Royal and the picture becomes brighter still. He is a half-brother to Sapience, a winner of five races including the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes and the Princess of Wales Stakes, second in the Group 2 English St Leger and the Jockey Club Cup, third in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes, and fourth in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Irish Royal also has connections to Group performers in Italy through the Group 1 winner Rosananti, New Zealand through ARC Derby Trial Stakes winner, Sires Produce Stakes and Wellington Cup placegetter Ebury and in Singapore through Raffles Cup winner Hippo Valour.

Those four sires that appear in the female line of Irish Royal were not only top class racehorses, but they all went on to become champion sires, sires of sires and leading broodmare sires.

Roberto, the damsire of Irish Royal is a particularly interesting horse, being an intensely inbred son of two high class parents - Hail To Reason and Bramalea by Nashua. He quickly asserted his superiority over the other Irish and English two year olds of his generation, and at three ran a slashing Derby trial in finishing second in the Two Thousand Guineas under the guidance of Australian jockey Bill Williamson.

Roberto duly went on to win the Derby, with Williamson being controversially replaced by Lester Piggott. The horse matured to refine a relentless style of front running which saw him break the heart and the 15 races winning sequence of Brigadier Gerard in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York and score an effortless win in the Epsom Coronation Gold Cup.

At stud, Roberto sired tough, plain individuals, with good bone and courage to match. This description is particularly significant in the case of his grandson Irish Royal, who was described as "Could win whatever he wanted. Had courage, character and loved to run" (Gordon Yorke), and " Potentially one of the best horses I have ridden. Could have been anything if sound." (Shane Treweek.)

Sons of Roberto At Talaq, Silver Hark and Kris S have been very successful at stud, and his daughters have been outstanding. They include Slightly Dangerous, the dam of champion two year old and miler Warning, who has also proved himself as a sire and sire of sires.

Irish Royal's second dam, Klairon was the Champion French Miler and winner of the English Two Thousand Guineas. His sons at stud include Luthier, sire of acknowledged champions Sagace, Ashmore and Right Bank and the very influential Lorenzaccio, sire of the champion sire and broodmare sire Ahonoora.

Klairon is the damsire of yet another highly influential sire in Irish River,(the sire of Brief Truce and damsire of winners of over $35 million), New Zealand's premier sire Star Way and of Habibti, St Klaire, and Eight Carat, the dam of Octagonal et al.

There is simply not enough room in this article to document the deeds of Never Say Die and Hyperion. The winner of the 1954 English Derby and St Leger, Never Say Die founded a dynasty of the Nearco male line that has endured in this part of the world through such horses as Sostenuto and Battle-Waggon. Hyperion was one of the great stallions of the twentieth century and has exerted an influence of speed, stamina and genuineness through multiple branches of his international family.

Irish Royal is being given every opportunity to establish himself as a sire of international standing. Many of the mares served by him this year are owned by Singaporeans, and it is likely that some of the first crop will find their way into the rich racing in that part of the world.

Melbourne and Caulfield Cups winning jockey Scott Seamer was one of the first Australians to book a mare into Irish Royal. Scott commented "You can not go past his bloodlines; best damline in Australia. He has outstanding conformation and is great value."

Mares that have been served by Irish Royal this season include Cairo Rose, whose dam is a half sister to the US Horse of the Year All Along; Degage,whose dam is a half-sister to top New Zealand mare Vickey Av; Blushing Belle, a sister to Moonee Valley Cup winner Top Rating; Ambitions, a Quest for Fame half-sister to the dam of Dynamic Dancer; Indigo Rose, a daughter of Group 1 winner Ricochet Rosie; and Hippety Hop, Group 1 placed in the SA Oaks. Other mares to go to the horse this year include daughters of Royal Academy, Fairy King, Hennessy, Bletchingly, Centaine, Brief Truce, Star Way, Grand Lodge, Canny Lad, Bluebird, Vain, Rory's Jester, Zeditave, Luskin Star and Nassipour.