When his son Continuous claimed Saturday’s Gr1 Betfred St Leger, the late Heart’s Cry became the second son of the legendary Sunday Silence to supply a British classic winner this year.
Heart’s Cry, who ironically beat Deep Impact in the 2005 Arima Kinen, was preceded by another late Sunday Silence horse, Deep Impact, whose son Auguste Rodin won the 2023 Gr1 Betfred Derby.
Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence’s international success this past weekend was not restricted to Britain. Karakontie, who is out of the Sunday Silence mare Sun Is Up, is the sire of Saturday’s Gr1 Natalma Stakes winner She Feels Pretty.
Continuous and Auguste Rodin were both produced by daughters of Galileo, with Continuous out of the late Coolmore giant’s daughter Fluff and Auguste Rodin produced by Galileo’s triple Gr1 winning daughter Rhododendron.
This is not the first time that a Sunday Silence horse has enjoyed success in the British classics, with Divine Light sire of 2008 1000 Guineas winner Natagora.
Deep Impact had previously had British classic success with son Saxon Warrior (Qipco 2000 Guineas) and daughter Snowfall (Cazoo Oaks). Both Saxon Warrior and Snowfall are out of mares by Galileo.
Continuous wins the Betfred St Leger (Pic – Doncaster Racecourse)
Heart’s Cry, who spent his stud career largely in the shadow of his dominant paternal half-brother Deep Impact, was one of Sunday Silence’s very best sire sons and made his mark with big race winners the world over.
Winner of five races, including the Gr1 Dubai Sheema Classic and runner up in the 2005 Gr1 Japan Cup, Heart’s Cry has been responsible for 63 stakes winners, including international stars Yoshida (Gr1 Woodward Stakes, Gr1 Turf Classic), Lys Gracieux (Gr1 Cox Plate) and Admire Rakti (Gr1 Caulfield Cup).
He is also the sire of Just A Way, who handed South African champion and subsequent top sire Vercingetorix a six and a quarter length thrashing when he won the 2014 Gr1 Dubai Duty Free, while Heart’s Cry’s other notable performers include champion Do Deuce, and Japan Cup winners Suave Richard and Cheval Grand.
While Continuous may owe plenty to his late sire, he also hails from a female line which has consistently produced classic winners and high-class gallopers the world over.
Directly descended in female line from Irish Oaks winner Djebellica, Continuous’s own dam Fluff is a full-sister to Irish champion Maybe, winner of four black type races including the Gr1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and dam of Saxon Warrior, Gr3 Silver Flash Stakes winner Promise To Be True and Gr2 Queen’s Vase runner up Barbados.
Fluff’s dam Sumora is a stakes winning Danehill three-parts sister to dual Oaks winner Dancing Rain (Danehill Dancer), with Sumora’s own dam Rain Flower a three-parts sister to Epsom Derby winner Dr Devious.
Rain Flower in turn is out of the outstanding broodmare Rose Of Jericho, dam of not only Dr Devious but also top-class sprinter Archway and Gr3 winner Royal Court and high-class Japanese stakes winner Shinko King.
Rose Of Jericho’s half-sister Rose Linnet ended up in South Africa, and she ranks as the granddam of Gr3 Tony Ruffel Stakes runner up Rose Window, and Sea Cottage Stakes second Nyakatho.
This is also the family of Australian champion and high-class sire Pierro (Lonhro), champion filly Princesse Lida (Nijinsky II), star miler Markofdistinction (Known Fact) and 1000 Guineas winner Las Meninas (Glenstal).
