Danedream is the first German trained and bred filly to win the Arc.
The winner was one six of fillies in the 2011 Arc de Triomphe, which was contested by a field of 16. Therefore, nearly 40% of this year’s Arc field were female.
It is hard to remember the last time when, in a major international WFA contest, the first three horses home were fillies. The Arc has been won by members of the fairer sex on 17 previous occasions.
Danedream has won her three last starts, all against males, by an aggregate of 16 lengths
Prior to winning three G1 races in a trot (all in WFA company), Danedream was defeated by Testosterone (Dansili) in the G2 Prix de Mallaret by nearly six lengths!
On Arc day, Danedream won Europe’s greatest race, whilst her old rival Testosterone finished 15.5 lengths back in the same race.
Her sire, Lomitas, is a former patient of the famous horseman Monty Roberts, who is well known in equestrian circles for his “Join Up” theory, and his ability to help both horses and humans overcome equestrian difficulties.
Roberts worked hard to overcome Lomitas’ claustrophobia, and fear of the starting stalls, which made the champion attack several handlers who tried to force the colt into the stalls. Lomitas would even lie down at the start of a race to avoid being loaded.
Lomitas, who has sired 44 stakes winners and five G1 winners, is best known in South Africa as the sire of outstanding stallion and Arlington Million winner Silvano.
Danedream is the tenth 3yo filly to win the Arc, and the first female to win since Zarkava (Zamindar) in 2008
Danedream is the fourth horse descended from Nijinsky II in male line to win the ARC, following Suave Dancer (Green Dancer) back in 1991, Nijinsky’s son Lammtarra won the Arc in 1995, while Marienbard (Caerleon) took the laurels in 2002.
Germany’s influence on the Arc continues to grow. The first German trained horse to win the race was Star Appeal, who caused a huge (ie 118-1) upset when he won the race in 1975. Urban Sea (Miswaki), victorious in 1993, is a great daughter of the great German broodmare Anatevka, whose other descendants include King’s Best – sire of 2010 Arc winner Workforce. Urban Sea herself produced 2009 Arc hero, Sea The Stars (Cape Cross). Workforce’s third dam, Media Luna, is in fact a daughter of Star Appeal!
In 2005, the Arc was won by Hurricane Run (Montjeu), who was produced by the German mare Hold On, a daughter of champion sire Surumu.
While Star Appeal (Appiani II) and Danedream are the only two German trained winners of the Arc, a number of German trained and bred horses have performed well in the race. The likes of Tiger Hill (third in the Arc in 1998), Borgia (third to Peintre Celebre in 1997) and Lando (fourth to Lammtarra in 1995) have kept German runners in the Arc picture.
Danedream broke her maiden on debut when winning over 1200 meters in France last year
She has thus won from 1200-2400m
When Danedream won Sunday’s big race, she became the second horse to complete the Grosser Preis von Baden – Arc de Triomphe double (Marienbard having turned the trick in 2002 for Godolphin).
Her dam, Danedrop, was unraced. She is the dam of two other winners, but Danedream is her only stakes winner to date.
This is a very versatile family, responsible for such horses as champion Japanese sprinter Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki) and Grand Prix de Saint Cloud winner Plumania (Anabaa).
Danedream’s third dam, Lady Berry (Violon D’Ingres), is one of just a handful of mares to produce three individual G1 winners.
The filly is the first Arc winner produced by a Danehill mare. Danehill himself has had a big influence on France’s greatest race, producing former Arc winner Dylan Thomas, while his Tiger Hill ran third in 1998. Danehill’s grandson, Rail Link (Dansili), won the race in 2006, while Danehill’s son, Westerner, was runner up in the Arc behind Hurricane Run nine years ago.
Danedream’s Arc triumph was a first for both trainer, Peter Schiergen, and jockey, Andrasch Starke.
The filly, who will probably stay in training next year, has won five of 12, and has earned over 2.8 million euros in prize money.
She is one of six Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners who inbred to the great stallion, Northern Dancer. The others are Zarkava, Workforce, Lammtarra, Rail Link and Sakhee.
Danedream, who started at 27-1 for the Arc, is part-owned by Teruya Yoshida, who also owns Sahpresa (Sahm) – the only filly ever to win the Sun Chariot Stakes three times.
Her winning margin of five lengths is not far off the record winning distance of six lengths. All of Ribot (1956), Sea Bird (1962) and Sakhee (2001) won the Arc by six, and no horse has won the race by a greater margin.
Danedream’s connections certainly showed plenty of confidence – they supplemented her at a cost of 100,000 euros – or over R1 million!
Timeform have provisionally given Danedream a rating of 132. Star Appeal, her German trained predecessor, was rated 133 after his Arc win. Danedream is rated a pound lower than the last 3yo filly victor, Zarkava, at this stage.
Danedream is, at the time of writing, rated 8lbs bellow the mighty 2008 winner, Sea The Stars. The latter received a Timeform rating of 140lbs.
