Top Sires
After diving into the history and key players in part one, we now put the spotlight on some of the horses that have had the biggest influence over the superstars of today. We take a look at their achievements and, most importantly, their legacy in terms of breeding future champions.
In recent decades, the accolade of the most influential bloodline in flat horse racing surely goes to that of Northern Dancer - a champion racehorse in Canada and America in the 1960s.
Northern Dancer was a small horse, standing at just 15.2 hands high, but his toughness on the track along with his brilliant genetics has resulted in an overwhelming dominance of his family in the racing world and is now arguably the greatest of all the thoroughbred family bloodlines.
In the U.S in the last 20 years, there have been more Breeders' Cup winners from this family than any other bloodline. Since 1994, the male side of every Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner can be traced back to Northern Dancer or his great sire Nearco.
Sadler's Wells - The Game Changer
Perhaps Northern Dancer's greatest mating was with a mare called Fairy Bridge in 1981. The resulting foal - Sadler's Wells - would become one of the greatest sires of modern times. In fact, much of the global success of Coolmore can be owed to this horse and the endless list of champions he is directly associated with to this day.
Sadler's Wells won the Irish 2000 Guineas, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Eclipse at Sandown and had plenty of ability, although was probably not considered a superstar on the track.
His first notable offspring arrived on the scene in 1986, when In The Wings and Old Vic were foaled and won five Group 1 races between them in the seasons that followed.
In The Wings went on to become a notable stallion himself, producing the likes of Singspiel and three-time World Hurdle winner Inglis Drever, whilst Old Vic is a multiple champion National Hunt sire.
In 1989, El Prado was foaled and went on to become the Champion Irish two year old in 1991. He was later named as the leading sire in North America in 2002. The potency of Saddler's Wells as a stallion prospect was beginning to gather momentum and in 1992, the same year he sired Moonshell to win the Epsom Oaks, he sired another horse we all know and love called Istabraq, who would go onto win three Champion Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival.
Sadler's Wells had everything as a stallion. His champions and black-type winning bloodstock are renowned for their toughness, balance and class. Saddler's Wells has sired more champion milers than you could shake a stick at, proving that speed is an inherent trait among many of his high achieving offspring. Yet in 2012 his son Synchronised won the Cheltenham Gold Cup over 3m2f. A brilliantly talented staying steeplechaser, Synchronised also won the Welsh Grand National over even further, showcasing the far-reaching excellence of Sadler's Wells as a stallion.
In 1996 and 1998 respectively, two horses were foaled named Montjeu and Galileo. Both were exceptionally gifted racehorses, winning multiple Group 1 classics in Britain, Ireland and France. These two horses stand out as the most brilliant offspring of Sadler's Wells.
Montjeu unfortunately died in 2012 following a bout of septicaemia, but his legacy will continue for generations to come. Following his retirement to stud in 2001, where he stood at Coolmore in co.Tipperary, Montjeu sired four Epsom Derby winners, two Irish Derby winners, a world-champion three year old and Arc De Triomphe hero Hurricane Run and numerous other Group 1 winners and stakes winners in Europe.
He is also the father of fantastically talented but quirky Irish champion hurdler Hurricane Fly, who won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2011 and again in 2013. Montjeu had infamous issues with his idiosyncratic temperament. Connections described him as a bit "eccentric" in his mannerisms and these quirks and traits have been passed on to many of his offspring.
But there is no doubt that Montjeu has been capable of producing some of the finest thoroughbred animals we've seen perform in recent times.
Galileo - Modern day King of the breeding shed
Galileo is another horse whose achievements on the track are worthy of any praise. Galileo's dam is Urban Sea, a brilliant mare who won the Arc De Triomphe in 1993 and is also mother to the legendary Sea The Stars.
Galileo was an outstanding middle distance three year old, winning the Irish and English Derbies for Aiden O'Brien in 2001 and in the same year he was named the European Champion colt. Offspring since his retirement to stud include Derby winners New Approach and Ruler Of The World and another Jim Bolger trained champion, Teofilo. The latter was unfortunately unable to race as a three-year-old due to injury, but began to make his name as a sire in 2012 and 2013 following his brilliant season as champion two year old in 2006.
Galileo seems to be an Irish Derby specialist too. Soldier of Fortune, Treasure Beach, Cape Blanco, Australia, Capri and Sovereign have all won the race for Aiden O'Brien in recent years, not to mention other notable winners grand-sired by him. In short - he is responsible for a conveyor belt of Classic winning stock.
Galileo's Best Son
Galileo's best son though was the highest rated horse on the planet and perhaps, the greatest of them all - Frankel. A truly great champion trained by the legendary Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel was allotted a Timeform rating of 143, which ranks him alongside the likes of Sea Bird, Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel.
There is no disputing that his victory in the 2000 Guineas in 2011 was simply unbelievable and probably the most breathtaking performance by a three year old ever witnessed.
Frankel's damsire is a horse called Danehill, who is another towering pillar of the breeding world. His notable offspring include the likes of Rock Of Gibraltar and Dylan Thomas.
