What's Working With Daughters of Shamardal

With the passing of Darley's champion and successful international sire Shamardal, BloodHorse MarketWatch decided to look for a common thread within his most successful broodmare daughters to date. We didn't have to look far.

The 18-year-old son of Giant's Causeway out of the Machiavellian stakes-placed winner Helsinki is well on his way as a broodmare sire with 40 black-type winners so far, which include 17 graded/group winners and two champions.

Shamardal's own pedigree is like a smorgasbord of the best. Giant's Causeway's sire Storm Cat was a grandson of Northern Dancer out of a Secretariat mare, while his dam, Mariah's Storm, was by Blushing Groom's son Rahy and out of Immense, a daughter of Roberto. Helsinki's sire Machiavellian was a son of Mr. Prospector out of a Halo mare, while Helsinki's dam, Helen Street, was by Troy out of a Riverman mare. With such a broad array of high-profile ancestors, it's not surprising that Shamardal succeeded as a sire on multiple continents.

But even with an apparent potential to blend with a variety of pedigrees, it is the deep veins of Northern Dancer blood running through European bloodstock that has resonated the strongest with Shamardal's daughters.

Four out of the five Shamardal mares that have produced group 1 winners so far are have Northern Dancer or Northern Dancer-line inbreeding in their pedigrees.

Spasha, the dam of Betfair Sprint Cup (G1) winner Hello Youmzain, multiple group 3 winner Royal Youmzain, and listed stakes winner Zuhoor Baynoona, is the only one of the five group 1-producing dams solely inbred to Northern Dancer (5x3). The others carry multiple other lines of inbreeding.

Question Times, the dam of Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) winner Latrobe and Sharmardal's most successful daughter by progeny earnings, is inbred 4x5 to Northern Dancer's son Storm Bird and inbred 4x4 to Mr. Prospector and 5x4 to Roberto.

Asheerah, the dam of Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Awtaad, is inbred 5x5x5 to Northern Dancer, 4x3 to Mr. Prospector, and 5x3 to Riverman.

Unex Mona Lisa, the dam of Darley Prix Morny (G1) winner Pretty Pollyanna, is inbred 5x5 to Northern Dancer, 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, and 5x5 to Secretariat.

Finally, Bold Nimph, the dam of South Africa's Allan Robertson Championship (G1) Mighty High, is inbred 5x3 to Northern Dancer, 5x4 to Raise a Native through Mr. Prospector and Raise a Cup, and 5x5 to Native Dancer.

With all these other inbreeding influences, how do we know Northern Dancer carries some additional cachet? Because four of these five group 1 winners are also by Northern Dancer line sires.

Latrobe is by Camelot, a great-grandson of Northern Dancer through Sadler's Wells. Both Awtaad and Pretty Pollyanna are by sons of Northern Dancer's grandson Green Desert, with Awtaad a son of Cape Cross and Pretty Pollyanna a daughter of Oasis Dream. Then we have Hello Youmzain, a son of Kodiac, who traces tail male to Northern Dancer through Danzig. The only one of the five group 1 winners that is not by a Northern Dancer line sire is Mighty High, who is a son of Pathfork, a great-grandson of Mr. Prospector.

No question that Northern Dancer's influence runs deep and wide throughout Europe. But doubling up on this rich source of talent with Shamardal's daughters seems to present continuing opportunities for success.