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44.
Danehill dominates
French 20000 Guineas
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15/05/2003 |
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Danehill
continued his outstanding start to the northern hemisphere season by siring the
quinella in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1) at Lonchamp on Sunday. It was
the second consecutive win in the classic for Danehill whose ill-fated son
Landseer was successful in 2002.
The Andre Fabre-trained Clodovil (3yo c Danehill (USA)-Clodora (Fr) by Linamix
(Fr)) remained undefeated in 5 starts when he defeated Catcher In The Rye (3yo
Danehill (USA)-Truly a Dream (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) by 1-length with Krataios
(3yo c Sabrehill--Loxandra (GB), by Last Tycoon (Ire)) 1-1/2-lengths back in
third.
It was a memorable day for Clodovil’s jockey 21-year-old Christophe Soumillon
who rode four winners including the three group 1 races, the Poule d'Essai des
Poulains (G1) with Clodovil the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1) with Musical
Chimes (In Excess) and the Prix Lupin (G1) with Dalakhani (Darshaan).
Owned and bred by the late Jean-Luc Lagardere, who also bred and raced Linamix
the sire Clodovil’s dam Clodora, Clodovil began his career with a 6-length win
in the Prix Marigot, a 4 ½-furlong race for unraced colts and geldings, at
Saint-Cloud on June 5 last year. He was put away for the season after another
hollow 3-length win in 2yo handicap at Saint-Cloud on July 2. Fabre still kept
the Danehill colt away from stakes races when he made his debut in Prix Machado
(1600m) at Lonchamp on April 6 but he indicated his potential with a 2-length
decision over the Anabaa colt Marshall, which had run a close up third in the
Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Group 1) at two. At his next start Clodovil made his
stakes debut with a hard fought neck win over Zafonic’s half brother Shuttle
Diplomacy (Seeking The Gold) in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau at Longchamp.
Clodora, the dam of Clodovil, won 3 of her 7 starts in France including the
Group 2 Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp defeating the Selkirk filly Squeak which
went on to win the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes and the Grade 1 Beverley Hills Hcp
both at Hollywood Park.
Clodora’s fourth dam Argentina is a half sister to Malcolmia the dam of
champion New Zealand based stallion Oncidium.
As Danehill closes in on his seventh Australian Sires championship it is
interesting to reflect on the rise of the son of Danzig in the northern
hemisphere. A few short years ago it would have been sacrilege to mention
Danehill in the same breath as his Coolmore stablemate Sadler’s Wells. Yet
Danehill has become the only credible challenger to the dominance of the 12-time
European champion, having finished runner-up to the son of Northern Dancer for
the past two years. Danehill won his second successive French title in 2002 and
the way he has begun this season he will take some toppling for his third
successive title.
While he has been a superstar in Australia from the time his first crop made him
the champion juvenile sire in 1993/94 it took some time to get the same
recognition north of the equator. Yet his northern hemisphere progeny have
outperformed his Australian conceived crops lately. As can be seen from the
following list of Danehill’s Group 1 winners in the 2002 calendar year
Danehill had half the number of winners at the top level in the south than the
northern hemisphere conceived crops. This can be explained to some extent by the
fact that Danehill looks assured of carrying off the champion sires title in
Hong Kong for the fourth time in the last five years, so it is not surprising
that his progeny are the main target at yearling sales for Hong Kong buyers.
In 2002 the champion South African filly Laisserfaire, with three Group 1 wins,
was the most successful Australian bred winner sired by Danehill. Rock Of
Gibraltar led the northern hemisphere charge with five Group 1 wins. Both Rock
Of Gibraltar and Banks Hill all but capped a wondrous year for Danehill at the
Breeders’ Cup meeting at Arlington Park. Banks Hill finished second in the
Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) and Rock Of Gibraltar was a luckless
second in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). Little wonder his appearance at
Coolmore’s Jerrys Plains base is so eagerly awaited by breeders this season.
Danehill’s Southern Hemisphere Group 1 Winners in 2002
LAISSERFAIRE (ex Procrastinate by Jade Hunter (USA)) Kenilworth, Cape Flying
Championship; Newmarket, Computaform Sprint; Scottsville, South African Fillies
Sprint, Gr 1,
EMERALD DREAM (ex Theme Song (NZ) by Sackford (USA)) Waikato RC, International
Stakes
PLATINUM SCISSORS (ex Shantha's Choice by Canny Lad) Randwick, Spring Champion
Stakes
Danehill’s Northern Hemisphere Group 1 Winners in 2002
AQUARELLISTE (FR) (ex Agathe (USA) by Manila) Longchamp, Prix Ganay
ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) (ex Offshore Boom (GB) by Be My Guest) Newmarket, 2000
Guineas; Curragh, Irish 2000 Guineas; Royal Ascot, St James's Palace Stakes
(with Landseer second); Goodwood, Sussex Stakes; Longchamp, Prix du Moulin de
Longchamp (with Banks Hill second).
LANDSEER (GB) (ex Sabria (USA) by Miswaki) Longchamp, Poule d'Essai des Poulains;
Keeneland Turf Mile Stakes
SPARTACUS (IRE) (ex Teslemi (USA) by Ogygian) Curragh, Phoenix Stakes; Milano,
Gran Criterium
BANKS HILL (GB) (ex Hasili (IRE) by Kahyasi) Deauville, Prix Jacques le Marois
DRESS TO THRILL (IRE) (ex Trusted Partner (USA) by Affirmed) Hollywood Park,
Matriarch Stakes
In addition the champion Japanese three-year old filly FINE MOTION (IRE) (ex
Cocotte (GB) by Troy) won the Kyoto, Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (G1)
and Shuka Sho (G1). |
