Shamardals in Express Lane

Shamardal has been hailed the leading second-season sire in the world and he confirmed that rating with another brilliant juvenile winner in Ireland on Sunday.  The Darley shuttler also weighed in with a regally bred winner in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Dunboyne Express (2c Shamardal – Love Excelling by Polish Precedent) preserved his unbeaten record with an emphatic victory in the G3 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

The Kevin Prendergast trained juvenile had defeated Ballydoyle colt Master Of Hounds on debut at Leopardstown on June 10 and he lowered the colours of another Aidan O’Brien trainee on Sunday.

Dunboyne Express trounced Samuel Morse by eight lengths and bookmakers have him as short as 14-1 for the 2011 English 2000 Guineas.  In the meantime, Prendergast has plenty of options.  “He’s been a nice horse since the day we got him.  He in the National and Phoenix Stakes and we will go wherever there’s good ground.”

Owner-breeder John Connaughton refused a final bid of 48,000gns  (AUD 90,745) for the colt at the 2009 Tattersalls October yearling sale.  He is out of a half-sister to 2000 English Oaks winner Love Divine (Diesis).  She is the dam of 2006 English St Leger winner Sixties Icon (Galileo).

Shamardal has now sired 14 stakes winners and they’re split 50-50 in either hemisphere.  

Lope De Vega leads the way in Europe with G1 wins in the French 2000 Guineas and Derby.  Faint Perfume is his Australian flag-bearer after G1 triumphs in the VRC Oaks and STC Vinery Stud Stakes.  

Shamardal’s first southern crop also includes yesterday’s Sandown winner St Clement Danes.  He saluted in Sheikh Mohammed’s colours and, although rising four, is still a work in progress.

St Clement Danes  (3g Shamardal – St. Clemens Belle by Don’t Say Halo) won his maiden at Wyong late last season but looks better suited to anti-clockwise racing.  He powered home at the end of 1600m to score by more than two lengths at Sandown.

The Shamardal gelding was a $325,000 purchase from the Mill Park draft at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.  His dam St. Clemens Belle was raced by Toorak Park’s Harry Perks to a G1 win in the WATC Fruit ‘n’ Veg Stakes in Perth and she was also G1 placed in the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes and VATC One Thousand Guineas.

Shamardal has upgraded the dam’s record at stud.  Her first three foals by Grand Lodge, Danehill and Fusaichi Pegasus all failed to win.  St Clemens Belle died after foaling an Exceed and Excel that made $320,000 at the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Shamardal was a G1 winner of the Dewhurst Stakes and he returned the following term to claim a classic double in the G1 French 2000 Guineas and French Derby.

He bowed out of racing, after just seven starts, with a powerful three length victory over Ad Valorem in the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes which was run at York that year.  

Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) is from a sister to leading sire Street Cry.  His 2009 Australian season was curtailed by injury but he is due back at Darley’s Kelvinside Stud next month.  His 2010 southern service fee has been set at $66,000 (inc gst).