Saturday’s Gr1 Betfred 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court (Justify) has plenty going for him in terms of pedigree. The once beaten colt is out of Inchargeofme (High Chaparral), a three-time winner who ran third in the Gr3 Mint Julep Handicap.
Inchargeofme is a full-sister to Gr1 Racing Post Trophy runner-up, and former Mike De Kock charge, Johann Strauss, with her dam Inchmina a daughter of outstanding sire and broodmare sire Cape Cross.
Ruling Court (Justify) charges home to win the Gr1 Betfred 2000 Guineas (Pic – Coolmore)
Incidentally, Justify’s champion son City Of Troy was produced by a mare sired by Galileo, like High Chaparral a son of Sadler’s Wells.
Ruling Court’s fourth dam was the small, but game, Inchmurrin (Lomond), winner of the Gr2 Child Stakes and runner-up in the Gr1 Coronation Stakes.
Inchmurrin left her mark at stud as the dam of multiple group winner Inchinor (Ahonoora), who enjoyed success at stud as the sire of Gr1 winners Cape Of Good Hope (Golden Jubilee Stakes), Notnowcato (Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Tattersalls Gold Cup), Silca’s Sister (Prix Morny), Latice (Prix de Diane), and Summoner (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes). Inchinor also sired the top-class broodmares Frappe, In Clover, and Roodeye among others.
Inchmurrin also produced Ruling Court’s stakes winning third dam Incheni (Nashwan), as well as another stakes winner in the form of Ingozi (Warning). The latter would go on to breed Gr1 E.P. Taylor Stakes winner Miss Keller to the cover of Montjeu.
Incidentally, Inchmurrin is also the third dam of this season’s classic hope The Lion In Winter (by Cape Cross’s outstanding son Sea The Stars), who ironically vanquished Ruling Court into third when the pair clashed in last year’s Gr3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes.
Other notable descendants of Inchmurrin include the Gr1 winners Harbour Law (Lawman)and Poet’s Word (Poet’s Voice). In turn, Inchmurrin, a half-sister to Gr2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Welney (Habitat), is directly descended in female line from Mowerina, the dam of British Triple Crown winner West Australian (Melbourne).
This is also the family of multiple champion sire Bletchingly (Biscay) as well as outstanding filly Rockfel (Felstead), while in South Africa, members of this family include Gr1 SA Derby/Gr1 Sansui Summer Cup runner-up Magical (Labeeb) and Gr1 Mercury Sprint winning sire Speak No Evil (Caerdeon).
Inchmurrin has also made her presence felt in South Africa. Her daughter Inchyre (Shirley Heights) is the granddam of 2010 Gr3 Algoa Cup winner Hawk’s Eye (Hawk Wing), with Hawk’s Eye also running third in the following year’s Algoa Cup.
Inchmurrin’s granddaughter, and French Listed winner, Ingeburg (Hector Protector), produced the useful local broodmare Nu (Sadler’s Wells), while Inchmurrin’s daughter Inchmahome (Galileo) is the granddam of multiple winners Tulip Tree (What A Winter) and Betula (Danon Platina).
However, Ruling Court’s South African connections are not limited to his female line. Ruling Court’s Triple Crown winning sire Justify (Scat Daddy) is inbred to South African bred champion Hawaii (Utrillo II). Inbreeding to Hawaii has also resulted in such Gr1 winners as Collected (City Zip), Dacita (Scat Daddy), and Solaria (Scat Daddy).
