AMONG the most brilliant gallopers in the late 1960s and early seventies were offspring of two imported sires who were juvenile stars in Europe, Romantic (GB) (by Princely Gift) and Without Fear (Fr) (Baldric 11) who helped establish Colin Hayes's Lindsay Park Stud at Angaston in South Australia as one of Australia's best sources of excellence.
Brian Russell writes - The long list of fleet-footed runners by Romantic included Make Mine Roses (won VRC Lightning Stakes) and Prince Romantic (VATC Futurity), while Without Fear included in a first crop of a record 30 2-year-old winners champion Desirable (nine wins included VRC Newmarket, Lightning Stakes Sires' Produce Stakes, AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, second Blue Diamond Stakes, third Golden Slipper).
That golden era is recalled as part of the country on which the Make Mine Roses, Prince Romantic and Desirable were produced hosts the Cornerstone Stud, an enterprising high quality operation established by Colin Hayes's grandson Sam Hayes which has two young shuttlers in it's stallion yards who, like Romantic and Without Fear, were top European 2-year-olds,
Both already sires of brilliant gallopers from use at the Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland and raced only at two, they are Zebedee, a grey son of Invincible Spirit and Cozy Maria, a Cozzene stakes placed mare, and Sir Prancealot, a son of Tamayuz (Mr. Prospector male line) and Mona Em, a winner at two in France and Germany by Catrail, a Storm Cat sire used in both hemispheres.
Considered the speediest 2yo of his year,
one in which he included three stakes in six wins from seven outings, all on
major English racecourses, Zebedee has been the I Am Invincible of Europe.
Typical Invincible Spirit, he was Europe's leading first crop sire
numerically for 2014, 32 winning 46 races and including Ivawood, third
highweight European 2yo and at three third in both the English and Irish Two
Thousand Guineas.
Out of a mare by Red Ransom, Ivawood made such a big impression he has been installed as a sire at Coolmore in Ireland. He looked after 160 mares in his first season and has first crop foals.
Zebedee was the leading European two crop sire for 2015 with 66 winners, including 29 2yos, and so far with four crops of racing age has in excess of 150 winners, including 21 new 2-year-olds in 2017.
He was in the news last month when a 3x3 Green Desert inbred 2yo son, Barraquero, romped to 1 1 /4 lengths win at Goodwood UK in the Richmond Stakes-G2 (1200m). The Richmond was won by Romantic back in 1962.
Zebedee (Cornerstone fee $16,500) should have some very nice quality first crop yearlings at 2018 Australian sales. First crop offspring include progeny of mares by Redoute's Choice, Zabeel, Exceed and Excel, Success Express (USA), Choisir,Stratum, O'Reilly, Octagonal, Lonhro, Fastnet Rock, Red Ransom (USA), Tale of the Cat (USA), Johannesburg (USA), Hussonet (USA), Flying Spur, Testa Rossa, Rubiton, Royal Academy (USA), Strategic, Not a Single Doubt, Dehere (USA), Woodman (USA), Made of Gold (USA), Spectrum (Ire), Lion Hunter, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), Husson (Arg) and Bellotto (USA).
The other Cornerstone shuttler who only raced
at two, Sir Prancealot, has also provided further encouragement for the management
in August, going within a few centimeters of having Ireland foaled first
crop 3yos quinella the Group1 Del Mar Oaks (1800m, turf) in America. Dream
Dancing (by Tapit) won by a nose from Beau Recall (Sir Prancealot from Greta d'Argent,
by Great Commotion), a neck ahead of Madam Dancealot (Sir Prancealot ex Sisal
(Ire), by Danehill (USA).
Madam Dancealot's effort came three weeks after she had recorded a win in the Group 2 San Clement stakes on the same track.
Raced six times for wins in three wins, including the Doncaster Flying Childers Stakes-G2, a second in the Prix Robert Papin-G2 and fourths in the Prix Morny-G1 and Royal Ascot Coventry Stakes-G2, Sir Prancealot supplied 30 first crop northern hemisphere winners in 2016. He was Europe's most successful first crop sire and sixth on earnings in the main juvenile stats, above Shamardal (USA), Fastnet Rock (USA), Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Frankel (GB).
On $16,500 for his Australian debut this year, Sir Prancealot and Zebedee are two of three visitors from Ireland to Cornerstone this year. Making his second trip out is Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral (Ire) – Polished Gem, by Danehill) (fee $18,700). A Group1 winner at 2000m at Royal Ascot, he was assessed Joint Champion Older Horse in Europe 2015.
Brian Russell Media
