Glorious Song, a member of North America’s Racing Hall Of Fame, was purchased by Frank Stronach for $36.000 as a yearling. She went on to earn more than $1 million and she notched up four official awards, including Horse Of The Year in Canada in 1980, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Glorious Song – glorious days!
Five of Glorious Song’s seventeen victories enjoyed Gr1 status at one time or another.
She left behind a host of notable descendants, and inbreeding to this matriarch is becoming increasingly successful. Recent Gr3 Endeavour Stakes winner Isabella Sings (Eskendereya) is just one of a number of high class performers who carry multiple strains in her pedigree.
Isabella Sings, whose fourth dam is Glorious Song, has won 8 of 20 outings with four of her wins coming in graded stakes. Due to visit Uncle Mo in her first year at stud in 2017, she is one of just four graded stakes winners for her sire Eskendereya (Giant’s Causeway), who now stands in Japan.
Other notables inbred to Glorious Song include Gr3 Navarra King (Lope De Vega), Gr1 July Cup runner-up Suedois (Le Havre) and Brazilian Gr1 performer Donna Di Dubai (Emirates To Dubai).
Inbreeding through Glorious Song’s son Rahy (by Blushing Groom) resulted in the classic winner Alex Rossi (Freud) and group winners Arnold Lane (Footstepsinthesand), Puissance De Lune (Shamardal), and Steip Amach (Vocalised).
The great Halo
A daughter of Halo, Glorious Song is full-sister to US champion 2yo Devil’s Bag, sire of more than 40 stakes winners and broodmare sire of sire Orpen and US Champion Sire Saint Ballado. It was a case of what might have been for Saint Ballado, who died at the age of 13 but left behind US champions Saint Liam and Ashado in an all too brief stud career.
A full-sister to Glorious Song, Angelic Song, produced Gr1 Hollywood Turf Cup winner Sligo Bay (Sadler’s Wells), sire of Canadian Horse Of The Year Lexie Lou.
Retired to stud in 1982, Glorious Song (who lived to the age of 27) left behind five stakes horses, notably champion and multiple Gr1 winner Singspiel (In The Wings). The sire of nearly 100 stakes winners, Singspiel’s top offspring include Solow, Lahudood and Lateral, and he is broodmare sire of 2016 Gr1 winning Wuheida (Prix Marcel Boussac) and Limato (Darley July Cup), as well as Australian sire Helmet (Exceed And Excel). In his first crop Helmet got 2yo Gr1 winner Thunder Snow, who won the Gr3 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan in his first start as a 3yo.
As good a sire as Singspiel was, his half-brother Rahy (Blushing Groom) was better. He left behind a slew of high class performers, headed by champions Serena’s Song, Fantastic Light, Noverre (sire of leading French sire Le Havre), Dreaming Of Anna, and Rio De La Plata.
Rahy’s daughters have produced over 130 stakes winners to date.
They include Horse Of The Year and triple US champion sire Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat), successful sire Posse, Gr1 winners Sophisticat (Storm Cat), After Market (Storm Cat), Courageous Cat (Storm Cat), Declaration Of War (War Front) and Megahertz (Pivotal).
Rahy is also found in the pedigree of 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles, his Irish 1000 Guineas winning own sister Marvellous, US champion Honor Code and half brother Noble Tune (whose first crop are yearlings in SA).
Jet Master – by Rakeen
Glorious Song made her mark in South Africa through her son Rakeen (Northern Dancer), whose Gr1 winners include Horse Of The Year and seven-time Gr1 champion sire Jet Master.
The latter is sire of young sires Pomodoro (first crop are yearlings) and Master Of My Fate (first crop are foals), and is damsire of Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes (Count Dubois).
Rakeen is broodmare sire of multiple Equus Champion Princess Victoria (Victory Moon) and Gr1 winning sprinter Far De Vie (Fard).
Rakeen’s half-brothers Rahy and Singspiel left their mark in South Africa as well, with Rahy siring smart stayer Golden Oasis and Singspiel the high class stakes winners Potala Palace (first crop are yearlings in SA), Polzeath and Candy Singer.
