Dutch Art
Dutch Art, a maternal grandson of the Yellow Star Stud based Spectrum, is one of Britain’s most exciting young stallions. Sire of last week’s impressive Meydan Classic Trial winner He’s No Saint, Dutch Art has made a pleasing start with his three first full crops to race.
The stallion’s first crop, born in 2009, included six stakes winners, including German 2000 Guineas winner Caspar Netscher as well as star sprinter Slade Power (2nd in the G1 Sprint Cup).
Dutch Art followed up with his 2010 crop having five stakes winners, notably Dutch Masterpiece (G3 Flying Five), and the top-class performer Garswood (Lennox Stakes, 3rd G1 Prix de La Foret) as well as Racing Post Trophy runner up Van Der Neer. In total, the chestnut was represented by seven stakes winners during 2013, and Dutch Art also proved popular in the sales rings.
Yearlings by the sire fetched up to 270,000 guineas – a handsome return on a conceiving fee of GBP 12,000. His success was such in 2013 that the Cheveley Park Stud based horse’ fee was raised from GBP 18,000 to 35,000 this year. Dutch Art, a son of Machiavellian sire Medicean, was a brilliant juvenile – like his paternal grandsire.
Unbeaten at two, Dutch Art won all four of his outings, culminating in a smart victory in one of Britain’s top 2yo contests – the G1 Middle Park Stakes. While he never won at three, Dutch Art did manage to run third in the 2000 Guineas. Described by Timeform as “close coupled…quite attractive,” he had a rating of 124 at two – making him 2006’s third top rated juvenile colt in the UK.
A half-brother to French 1000 Guineas runner up, Was, Dutch Art’s dam, Halland Park Lass, never won, but she is a daughter of the high-class, and tough, stakes winner, Palacegate Episode whose 11 wins included stakes victories in Britain, Italy and Germany.
The stallion is a descendant of the mighty broodmare, Dalmary – whose other descendants include Sadler’s Wells, Fairy King, Nureyev, Thatch and Blame.
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Leading Sires By Stakes Winners
Danehill
It can come as no surprise that the mighty Danehill is the leading sire of stakes winners in history. The Coolmore colossus left behind a staggering 347 stakes winners prior to his death in 2003. These included over 50 Grade/Group One winners. His erstwhile stable mate, Sadler’s Wells, is second on the list, with 294 black type performers.
Between them, Danehill and Sadler’s Wells accounted for over 100 top-flight winners. The pair also combined to sire 5 English 2000 Guineas winners, 3 Epsom Derby winners, 6 Irish Derby winners, 5 Epsom Oaks winners, and 5 Irish 2000 Guineas winners. Danehill’s sire, Danzig, gets in with 198, while two US legends, Mr Prospector and Storm Cat, are tied on 177.
Currently the leading active sire by stakes winners is Sadler’s Wells son, and heir apparent, Galileo. Galileo’s 154 stakes winners places him clear of leading active sires, Danehill Dancer (153), Giant’s Causeway (147), More Than Ready (128), Distorted Humor (120), Redoute’s Choice (109), Pivotal (107), Elusive Quality (101) and Smart Strike (100). The pensioned champions, A P Indy and Zabeel, are on 147 and 148 stakes winners respectively.
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Stars Of The Cape Summer Season
Captain Al
With the Cape Summer Season having all but ended, it is worth looking back at some of the stallions, and broodmares, who really stood out this season. The 2013-2014 Cape Summer Season was all about progeny of local sires succeeding in the majority of local features – Captain Al, Dynasty, and the late Jet Master’s offspring dominated the season.
Between these three stallions, their respective offspring won the J&B Met, Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas, Klawervlei Majorca Stakes, Victress Stakes, Choice Carriers Fillies Championship, Selangor Cup, Kenilworth Cup, Premier’s Trophy, Peninsula Handicap and Southeaster Sprint this season alone.
Champion sire Fort Wood and leading sire Elliodor stole the show as broodmare sires this past season. The pair’s daughters combined to produce the feature winners Silver Holly, Capetown Noir, Tevez, Ice Machine, Master Of My Fate and Tippuana Moon. However, the Roberto sire Al Mufti had an even greater season.
The paternal grandsire of 2014 J&B Met winner, Hill Fifty Four, was the broodmare sire of three feature race winners this season – Elusive Gold (Gr1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas), De Kock (Gr2 Selangor Cup) and Fairyinthewoods (Gr2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes). Another Al Mufti mare, Little Indian, is the dam of Met runner up, Yorker.
While stallion standouts were clear, no one broodmare dominated proceedings. The London Way mare. Captivation, is the second dam of Guineas hero Elusive Gold and third dam of Listed Sun Classique winner Silver Holly, while former SA Oaks winner, Seven Stars, is the third dam of both Listed Woolavington Handicap hero Hot Ticket, and the J&B Met winner, Hill Fifty Four.
– Sarah Whitelaw
