By Elaine Belval
I try not to write about Juddmonte stallions as I don’t want to be accused of bias, having spent six years working there. But it was hard to avoid them last week, as their former stallion (now in Japan) Empire Maker had two stakes winners, one allowance winner, and a second in the Preakness, and their British-based sire Dansili had two stakes winners in Europe.
Dansili is a son of Danehill and the first foal of his dam, Hasili, who would go on to produce five G1 winners for Juddmonte. Dansili, however, wasn’t one of them, though he finished second in three G1s and third in three more. His top win was a victory in the G2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud, and he finished second in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and third in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile (beaten less than one length). He was a top-rated runner, earning a Timeform rating of 125.
When Dansili retired to stud at Juddmonte’s British farm Banstead Manor in 2001, sons of Danehill were a dime a dozen in Europe. He stood for just £8,000 that initial season. His first SW was Early March, who won the G3 Prix la Rochette as a 2-year-old. His second crop included Rail Link, winner of the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at three, and Price Tag, who won the G1 Matriarch S. at Hollywood Park in the US. Dansili was Champion sire in France in 2006, with just three crops of racing age. That third crop contained another two G1 winners.
Dansili is one of only five stallions to have ranked in the top 12 on the combined European sire list in each of the six years from 2006 to 2011 (the others being Danehill Dancer, Galileo, Montjeu and Pivotal – very distinguished company). Dansili already has five SWs in 2012, so it appears likely he will make that list once again. In total, Dansili has over 60 SWs, with 40 of those GSWs, including nine individual G1 winners.
Dansili’s The Fugue won the prestigious G3 Musidora S. on May 16 for owner Lord Lloyd-Webber, whose Watership Down Stud bred the filly, and trainer John Gosden. In her previous start, and only second racecourse appearance, she finished a decent fourth in the G1 English 1000 Guineas. The Fugue now the favorite for the G1 English Oaks.
The day before The Fugue’s Musidora win, US-bred Dark Orchid won the Prix Volterra at Saint-Cloud for owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, breeder Darley Stud, and trainer Andre Fabre. Like many of the Dansilis, Dark Orchid is well bred and as a Listed SW, and now she’s a valuable broodmare prospect – her second dam is Whakilyric, the dam of G1 winners Johann Quatz and Hernando.
Earlier this year, Juddmonte-owned and -bred Stipulate won the Feilden S. at Newmarket. What is interesting is that The Fugue, Dark Orchid, and Stipulate are all out of daughters of Sadler’s Wells. In fact, Dansili has six SWs with daughters of Sadler’s Wells (including G1 winner Passage of Time), and another, GSW Requinto, out of a daughter of Entrepreneur (by Sadler’s Wells). Also, one of the few sons of Dansili with progeny of racing age is Strategic Prince – and both of his SWs, one of which is G1 winner La Collina, are out of Sadler’s Wells-line mares.
Dansili still stands at Banstead Manor Stud in England, where his 2012 stud fee is £75,000.