By Sid Fernando
With his first crop age three in 2014, Sea the Stars had already put himself into the most-promising-of-young-sires category with a classic winner last month, the filly Taghrooda in the Epsom Oaks (G1). She was the best of his six SWs to that point, though it was conspicuous that five of the six were fillies. Recent up-and-comers as Tapit and Medaglia d’Oro also had started off in a similar vein, with whispers of filly biases that proved unfounded as their careers unfolded. Sea the Stars hasn’t had to wait as long as they did to dispel preconceptions, for today his lone colt SW, Sea the Moon, always a talking horse, won the G1 German Derby at Hamburg in the most amazing fashion by 11 lengths, eased up. Click here to see the video of the race. [Sea the Moon is on the lead in the white silks; he was taken by design, from what I’ve read, to the stands side on the turn for home.] Sea the Moon’s rider, Christophe Soumillon, subsequently indicated that the colt would be competitive in major European events down the road, and bookmakers have since slashed odds on the colt for the Arc.
The Arc, of course, was a race Sea the Stars also won, along with the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Derby, among a total of six G1 races. Altogether Sea the Stars won eight of his nine starts and was retired to the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud in Ireland in 2010 widely acclaimed as the best European colt of recent times. His superhorse status, however, was short-lived as Frankel appeared on the scene at two in 2010, rose to greatness as a 2000 Guineas winner in 2011, and cemented his own status as the greatest European of all time in 2012, when he retired undefeated in 14 starts.
In 2013, as Frankel began his stud career, Sea the Stars reappeared in the headlines with a first-crop two-year-old SW, My Titania, who won the CL Weld Stakes (G3). Like Frankel, My Titania was produced by a Danehill mare, and here’s why it’s an inspired mating: Sea the Stars is the Cape Cross half-brother to Galileo, the sire of Frankel and many other SWs out of Danehill mares.
Like Sea the Stars, Galileo also won the Epsom Derby, and like Galileo—the sire of numerous Derby and Oaks winners himself—Sea the Stars now also has a Derby and Oaks winner to his credit right off the bat!
Furthermore, if Sea the Moon, as Soumillon suggests, is something special, then a meeting between Sea the Stars’ son and Galileo’s dual-Derby-winning son Australia will be a highlight this season.
The winner of the Epsom and Irish Derbys, Australia is out of the Epsom and Irish Oaks winner Ouija Board, who, like Sea the Stars, is by Cape Cross.
Sea the Moon, likewise, has a rich classic-winning family behind him and a pedigree with two of the main elements of Australia’s makeup. His dam is a sister to German Derby winners Samum and Schiaparelli and to German Oaks winner Salve Regina, and his pedigree like Australia’s includes Cape Cross and Sadler’s Wells—the sires of the half-brothers Sea the Stars and Galileo; Sea the Moon’s second dam, Sacarina, is by Old Vic, a son of Sadler’s Wells.
Below are the pedigrees of the six Sea the Stars SWs. [Click on the names to view.]
Sea the Moon: Won 2400m German Derby (G1) by 11 lengths on July 6, 2014 at Hamburg.
Taghrooda: Won 12F Oaks (G1) on June 6, 2014 at Epsom.
Afternoon Sunlight: Won 8F Irish 1000 Guineas Trial (G3) on May 11, 2014 at Leopardstown.
Anipa: Won 11.5F Cheshire Oaks (L) on May 7, 2014 at Chester.
Vazira: Won 1850m Prix Vanteaux (G3) on April 27, 2014 at Longchamp.
My Titania: Won 7F CL Weld Stakes (G3) on September 29, 2013 at Curragh.