Not a Single Doubt is an outstanding sire, but not known for producing stayers
and while class probably carried Qafila a long way last Saturday, at the end of
the day she's now a Classic winner, so pedigree analysts have to wonder what
the trigger was for her sire to produce something out of the normal distance range
of his progeny.The answer to that question may well be US super sire Tapit, who is the sire of Qafila's dam Zighy Bay (USA).
Standing at a fee of $US225,000 in 2019, Tapit has been the dominant stallion in North America in recent times finishing as Champion Sire by earnings in 2014, 2015 and 2016 with his 11.4% stakes-winners to runners strike rate placing him among the very best sires in the world.
A grand-son of AP Indy, Tapit has left 25 Group I winners and while the majority of those elite winners fall around the 1600 metre mark the list does include three winners of the Group I Belmont Stakes at 2400 metres in Tonalist, Tapwrit and Creator.
There's not a lot of opportunity to stretch out over the classic trip in North American three year-old racing, but when the occasion does arise, Tapit progeny seem to excel.
One of Tapit's very best sons is Darley shuttler Frosted (USA), who won three Group I races and was second in the Belmont Stakes and fourth in the Kentucky Derby.
Frosted has been shuttling to Darley Victoria for the past two seasons and returns again this spring at a fee of $27,500.
