Haras de Saint Pair's Group 1-winning foundation mare Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}-Piffle {GB}, by Shirley Heights {GB}) has passed away from natural causes. The Lord Harrington-bred bay was 22.
A Ir£265,000 Goffs October yearling, she was raced by 6C Racing Ltd. and trainer Francois Rohaut. She graduated in her second start at three in early May of 2002, then added the Listed La Coupe des Pouliches later that month. Pearly Shells captured the G2 Prix de Malleret at Saint-Cloud in June, and took Deauville's G3 Prix de la Nonette Royal Barriere that August. Her swansong was a 1 1/2-length win under Christophe Soumillon in the G1 Prix Vermeille in September of 2002. She was retired with a mark of 6-5-1-0 and $249,080 in earnings.
“She was the first mare who came to the farm when I bought Saint Pair in 2007,” said Haras de Saint Pair's Andreas Putsch. “And we have built the farm around her. We shall all miss her presence here and will work to maintain her legacy in the future.”
As a broodmare, the half-sister to GI Hollywood Turf Cup S. scorer Frenchpark (GB) (Fools Holme) was the dam of 12 foals, 11 of racing age with 10 runners and eight winners so far. The best of these is the German Group 3 winner Pearl Banks (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself already the dam of Group 3 victress Lucky Lycra (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), as well as the listed winner Pearly Steph (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and the dual group-placed Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Another daughter of Pearly Shells, the Monsun (Ger) mare Pearls Or Passion (Fr), won the Listed Prix Panacee in France and has thrown G3 Prix de Royaumont victress Pelligrina (Ire) to the cover of Soldier Hollow (GB), as well as the stakes-placed Podemos (Ger) (Shamardal). Pearly Shells also has the stakes-placed Pearly Avenue (GB) (Anabaa) and the G2 Prix Greffulhe second Smile Makers (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) to her credit.
Saint Pair has retained Pearl Banks and three of her daughters– Pearly Steph, Pearls Galore and her 2-year-old filly Pearl Angel (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}); the latter two are both in training. The final foal of Pearly Shells is a yearling colt by Anodin (Ire).
This is the extended family of the outstanding producer and G3 Silver Flash S. winner Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and her two Classic-winning colts–St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Farther back, other notable runners tracing to Pearly Shells's stakes-placed third dam Fiddlededee (GB) (Acropolis {GB}) are the G1 Irish St Leger heroine Mountain Lodge (GB) (Blakeney {GB}) and European Champion 3-Year-Old and English/Irish Oaks victress Sariska (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).
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