TAKING STOCK
Arc winner Rail Link is the grandson of a remarkable mare who is
founding her own dynasty – at stud as well as on the
racecourse.
What more is there left to say about Hasili? At first glance,
not a great deal. The exploits of this remarkable broodmare were
feted once again in June, then the Manhattan Handicap triumph of
CACIQUE delivered her
a fourth individual Group/Grade One winner. However, the landmark
confirmed what we already knew: that Hasili was an outstanding
producer; a ‘Blue-Hen’ as the Americans like to say.
That is tribute enough, yet Rail Link’s scintillating victory in
the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe has raised Hasili’s profile to
exalted heights. Rail Link by DANSILI, Hasili’s first foal and rare among her progeny
in that he failed to win at the highest class.
The aberration matters little now. It was an anomaly anyway,
since DANSILI's
exploits fully entitled him to the Group One bracket he came so
close to posting.
Of infinitely greater relevance is DANSILI's achievements at stud to date
pitch him right up there among heirs-apparent to the mantle of his
deceased sire Danehill.
It is one thing for a mare to throw a succession of top-class
runners, quite another for any of her sons to succeed at stud – as
DANSILI seems poised
to do. For examples of this, one need only delve into the ancestry
of Rail Link himself.
Rail Link’s third dam Golden Alibi is a half-sister to Dahlia,
Britain’s horse of the year in successive seasons from1973, the
year before she was voted America’s Turf Champion horse. Yet Dahlia
had her detractors when she retired to the paddocks. The fact that
she was as rugged as she was talented prompted many to cite the
unfounded prejudice that such fillies were not cut out for
motherhood. But if her own early years were unproductive, Dahlia
eventually disabused the notion.
Like Hasili, Dahlia would throw four individual Group/Grade One
winners, among them the colts Dahar, Delegant and Rivlia. Yet none
made anything like the stallion impact to date of
DANSILI.
So it is that Hasili fashions a new and distinct dynasty. She
could hardly be in more appropriate hands, since Juddmonte
Farms-which bred her dam Kerali from Sookera, purchased privately
from Robert Sangster-is a thoroughbred nursery par excellence.
Juddmonte stands for continuity and in Rail Link, it has bred a
colt from lines organic to the stud for decades. Rail Link’s dam,
the theatrical mare Docklands, is a half-sister to July Stakes
winner Wharf and the Alleged mare Colza, herself dam of Lingfield
Derby Trial winner Linda’s Lad.
They are out of the Riverun mare Dockage, who was the best
runner from the aforementioned Golden Alibi. Understandably,
Juddmonte has persisted with a female line that has promised to
deliver a top-class animal for some time.
DANSILI’s fee for
2007 will reflect a year in which Price Tag, Strategic Prince,
Thousand Words and Home Affairs feature among his nine stakes
winners to date. And he will soon be joined at Banstead Manor Stud
by his full-brother CACIQUE.
CACIQUE is not the
only offspring of Hasili to excel in North America. Far from it,
since CACIQUE joins
his full-sisters Banks Hill and Intercontinental and three parts
sister Head Haze in gaining that all-important Grade One bracket
across the pond.
It therefore seems inevitable that Hasili’s three year-old son
Champs Elysees, placed twice in Group company this season, will
soon go west on a similar quest.
DANSILI’s
emergence promises to mark the start of a new odyssey for Hasili in
her role as ancestress of notable stallions. The extent of her
influence in this domain will only become clear over many
years.
In the meantime, all eyes are fixed on the imminent deeds of the
progeny of Hasili’s top-class daughters Banks Hill, Heat Haze and
Intercontinental. From Juddmonte’s perspective its safe to say the
future is in safe hands.
Date:
05 October 2006