By Kelsey Riley
If there is one adjective that embodies everything about Shamardal, it would have to be 'class.' That magic yet highly elusive ingredient that separates a great Thoroughbred from the field has permeated every aspect of his being from the time his blue chip mating was planned, through to his own quartet of Group 1 successes on the racecourse and on to his sons and daughters, who made an immediate impact on the track with Classic winners in Europe and Australia in his first crop and whose dominance was emphasized last year by a remarkable three unbeaten Group 1-winning 2-year-old colts.
It is regrettable that we had Shamardal in the flesh for just 18 years, but his legacy will continue long beyond that. His first three crops contained six Group 1-winning colts, four of which have already made marks as sires. Holding chief spot among those is first-crop son Lope De Vega (Ire), who emulated his sire with a G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains/G1 Prix du Jockey Club double, and who has wasted no time establishing his own branch of the Shamardal sireline. In his first crop, Lope De Vega provided the G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Lockinge S. victor Belardo (Ire), who stands, as his grandsire did, at Kildangan Stud and whose first crop, which will hit racecourses this year, have drawn early praise. Lope de Vega's second crop yielded the French Group 1 winners Zabeel Prince (Ire) and Jemayel (Ire), while GI Natalma S. winner Capla Temptress (Ire) came along in his third crop.
Another brilliant 2-year-old filly, Newspaperofrecord (Ire), surfaced just a year later for Lope De Vega. Watching Newspaperofrecord streak down the stretch of the Churchill Downs turf course in 2018 to a breathtaking win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, one couldn't help but be taken by the physical similarities to her grandsire: the classic dark bay colouring; the strong head with the white star that drips down to a point midway down the face and the bright, intelligent and intense eye. And, just like her grandsire did in four Group 1s, Newspaperofrecord made every step of the running before kicking clear with that imperial head held high.
Lope De Vega has provided three Group 1-winning sprinters in Australia from a short shuttling career-Santa Ana Lane (Aus), Vega Magic (Aus) and Gytrash (Aus). With eight group winners in Europe last year headed by the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix of Spain (Ire)—new to the Irish National Stud this year—and four 2-year-old stakes winners including the group winners Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), Ecrivain (Ire) and Max Vega (Ire), Lope De Vega stands for a career high €100,000 at Ballylinch Stud this year.
The star of Shamardal's second crop was the G1 Racing Post Trophy victor Casamento (Ire). While his star never ascended to the height of Lope De Vega's, he nonetheless compiled a decent record as a sire before prematurely dying aged 12 in February. Casamento's Kings Will Dream (Ire) took the G1 Turnbull S. at Flemington last October, while G2 Princess of Wales's S. winner Communique (Ire) and G2 Prix de Royallieu victress Princess Yaiza (Ire) are the Northern Hemisphere stars among his 10 stakes winners.
Shamardal's third crop has provided two useful young sires. The G1 Coral-Eclipse winner Mukhadram (GB) has a pair of stakes winners and three other stakes-placed horses from his first two crops, while the Italian Group 1 winner Amaron (GB) was Germany's leading first-season sire last year.
Shamardal has a trio of exciting young sire sons in France, headed by the Aga Khan's G1 Prix Ganay victor Dariyan (Fr), who has his first 2-year-olds this year. Bow Creek (Ire), a Group 2 winner in England, Ireland and Australia, also has his first runners this year, and he stands at Haras du Logis alongside French Navy (GB), the winner of four Group 3s over middle distances who supplied six first-crop winners last year. Australian second-season sire Puissance de Lune (Ire) has provided G2 Edward Manifold S. winner Moonlight Maid (Aus) and two other stakes-placed horses from 25 total runners.
There is every reason to believe, however, that the best is yet to come for Shamardal's sireline. His champion sprinter son Blue Point (Ire), who is almost eerily similar to him physically, is currently covering his first book of mares at Kildangan Stud, while Pinatubo—already Shamardal's highest-rated European son at 128—Earthlight and Victor Ludorum are sure to someday wind up in Darley stallion yards.
And as the classiest sires so often make the best broodmare sires, Shamardal is following suit in that realm, too. His daughters have thus far left 32 stakes winners headed by four Group 1 winners: Classic winners Latrobe (GB) (Camelot {GB}) and Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}); G1 Sprint Cup victor Hello Youmzain (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and G1 Prix Morny scorer Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Shamardal's early results as both a sire of sires and broodmare sire offer every indication that his legacy will burn bright well beyond his 18 years. And with a clutch of remarkable Classic colts for 2020—and so many regally bred sons and daughters from his latest crops not yet even in the public eye—it is completely conceivable that some of the greatest chapters of the Shamardal story have yet to be written.
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