Darley shuttler Shamardal is earning rave reviews after a sensational start to his stud career in Europe and Australia.  

Shamardal’s second Australian crop started on a winning note when Run for Wilson blitzed the Listed AJC Breeders’ Plate and there’s another feature on the drawing board with Singapore youngster Gingerbread Man.

Gingerbread Man will head for the G3 Magic Millions Juvenile Championship after a rousing victory at Kranji on Friday.  He defeated Big River (General Nediym) who was a Listed winner of the Wellesley Stakes at Trentham in October.

“He’s a very good two-year-old and such a lovely horse to train,” Bruce Marsh said last night.  “He beat a very good horse fair and square.”

Gingerbread Man (2c Shamardal – Quaffle by Hurricane Sky) has won two of his three starts but should have a perfect record.  He was a good thing beaten on debut after racing wide without cover last month.

Darley shuttles Shamardal between Kildangan Stud in Ireland and Kelvinside in NSW although an injury to his withers curtailed the 2009 southern season.

Shamardal’s son Lope de Vega heads an outstanding 3YO crop in Europe this year.  The Andre Fabre trained colt completed the French 2000 Guineas – Derby double earlier this month to emulate his sire who did likewise in 2005.

Lope de Vega is right behind Workforce (King’s Best) at the top of the ratings this year although he may overtake the English Derby winner with another Group 1 victory in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August.

Shamardal has also sired the European Group winners Arctic (Ireland), Shakespearean (England) and Zazou (Germany) this year.  His Australian 3YO Group winners are headed by the fillies Faint Perfume, Happy Hippy and Femina Fashion plus Mark Kavanagh’s G3 winning colt Shamoline Warrior.

He sired Gingerbread Man from a mare with speed and stamina in her pedigree.  A $30,000 graduate of the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale, the Singapore colt is from Quaffle who is a half-sister to Listed QTC Lightning Hcp winner Golden Snitch (Unbridled’s Song).  

His second dam Sydney’s Spy (Snippets) is a half-sister to G1 AJC Epsom Hcp winner Iron Horse (Zephyr Zip).  Third dam Spyglass (Sir Sian) was a two-time Group 1 winner at Ellerslie in the 1987 NZ Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and the 1989 Auckland Cup (3200m).

Quaffle has two colts in the pipeline by Darley sires Exceed and Excel and Bernardini and she was bred back to Bernardini last November.

The G3 Juvenile Championship is scheduled for July 25 and Gingerbread Man has stamped himself as the horse to beat.  “What I like the most about this horse is his versatility,” winning jockey Barend Vorster explained.  “I was just biding my time and waiting for Big River to come back to me.  I had plenty of horse underneath me and I know he always does just enough to win.”