Danzig (photo: Barbara Livingstone)
The UK first crop sires log of 2014 has been totally dominated by Danzig line descendants. Of the top ten on the first crop sires list, no fewer than seven are direct male line descendants of Danzig himself. The top four first crop sires, by prize money, are all descended from the unbeaten Danzig, who continues to exert a staggering influence on major international racing.
What is also noteworthy of the leading first crop sires log this season is that, thus far, of the seven young Danzig horses in question, only two are descended from Danehill.
It is hard to remember, but Danzig’s ability as a sire of sires was once called into question. But stallions like Danehill, Green Desert, War Front, and Hard Spun, to name a few, have certainly settled that question! Not surprisingly, given Danehill’s dominance Down Under, Danzig line stallions occupy six of the top spots on the 2013-2014 Australian general sires log. A Danzig line horse has topped the Australian general sires log for the past three years in a row.
Invincible Spirit
One of Danzig’s hottest male line descendants is former top sprinter, Invincible Spirit, a son of Green Desert. The latter was one of no fewer than six Group 1 July Cup winners sired by Danzig, and has established himself as second only to Danehill among Danzig’s sire sons.
Invincible Spirit, who currently ranks as second to Galileo on the UK General sires list (by prize money), has been represented by no fewer than 10 stakes winners in 2014 at the time of writing. His recent runners include brilliant Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas/St James Palace winner, Kingman, as well as recent Group 1 Prix Jean Prat hero, Charm Spirit. However, it is as a sire of sires that Invincible Spirit has really made a splash this year. Already sire of one proven Group 1 sire in Lawman, Invincible Spirit is also the sire of promising young stallions, I Am Invincible, Vale Of York and Zebedee.
I Am Invincible
I Am Invincible, whose first crop are two this season, has made a superb start to his stud career. The horse, a classy sprinter in his own right, is Australia’s current leading first crop sire, by prize money, and currently tops Gr1 performers Denman, Duport and world leading sire Medaglia D’Oro on the Australian first crop sire premiership. To date, I Am Invincible has been represented by 15 first crop winners, of which five are stakes winners. A sign of his success can be seen in the fact that I Am Invincible’s stud fee will rise from AUS$11,000 to $27,500 in 2014. Not many sires have their stud fee doubled after their first crop of runners. In total, I Am Invincible’s first runners include eight black type performers – an impressive achievement for a young horse whose first mates were by no means outstanding.
Former Gr1 Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, Vale Of York, is another of Invincible Spirit’s sons to have got off to a fast start at stud. The horse, who hails from the same family as the SA based sire and 2000 Guineas winner, King Of Kings, currently ranks as the UK’s sixth leading first crop sire (by prize money). Vale Of York’s first runners have already included a Group winner in the form of Fontanelice (Group 3 Premio Primi Passi) and he has a number of other smart looking juvenile winners to his credit.
Zebedee
The Invincible Spirit horse, Zebedee, is one of a number of top-class horses who retired to stud at the end of their juvenile season. Zebedee (who like world leading sire Pivotal is out of a mare by former Champion US sire, Cozzene), only raced seven times, but won six of these. Zebedee won up to 1200m and scored his biggest career win in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes.
A talented and quick juvenile, Zebedee always looked likely to sire precocious stock, and he has done just that. To date, the horse ranks as one of the UK’s leading first crop sires, and his first crop has already produced 14 winners. This tally includes unbeaten Group 2 July Stakes winner, Ivawood, as well as the stakes placed filly, Parsley.
While the decision to retire a horse at the end of his juvenile season is not always an entirely admirable one, this process has not only produced the above mentioned Zebedee but the very talented young Irish horse Dark Angel.
It is interesting to note that Invincible Spirit is bred on the well touted Danzig/Sharpen Up Cross. This particular cross has also produced one of Danehill’s greatest sire sons in Danehill Dancer.
Mastercraftsman
The latter is another Danzig descendant whose influence has been felt in major pattern races during 2014. His four time Group 1 winning son, Mastercraftsman, whose first crop are three, has enjoyed a sensational start to his stud career, with his runners including French Derby winner, The Grey Gatsby and Investec Derby runner up, Kingston Hill. Danehill Dancer’s son, Fast Company, currently ranks as the UK’s second leading first crop sire (by prize money), while Danehill Dancer’s son, Choisir is sire of brilliant young sire Starspangledbanner. Danehill Dancer is himself out of the Sharpen Up mare Mira Adonde.
Another promising young stallion bred on the Danzig/Sharpen Up cross is multiple Group 1 winner, Mount Nelson. By Danehill’s top class son, Rock Of Gibraltar, Mount Nelson is out of the high-class mare, Independence (by one of Sharpen Up’s finest sons, Selkirk).
Sire of the talented locally raced filly Mohave Princess, Mount Nelson has been represented by four stakes winners in 2014, including dual Oaks placed filly, Volume.
