The male line of Sadler’s Wells rests firmly by his champion son Galileo, especially via two sons both produced from daughters of Danehill, namely Frankel and Teofilo. Frankel, bred by the late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah (Saudi Royal Family) was born at Banstead Manor Farm in Suffolk and raced in the silks of Juddmonte Farms. Teofilo was a bred by Irish trainer Jim Bolger.
Frankel is by Galileo from Kind by Danehill from Rainbow Lake by Rainbow Quest. His best ever Timeform rating was 147 – the highest in Timeform’s history. He was the undefeated European Champion at 2, 3 and 4 with earnings of 2,998,302 Pounds. Of his 14 victories mention should be made of impressive wins in the Dewhurst Stakes-G1, English 2,000 Guineas-G1, Royal Ascot St. James’s Palace Stakes-G1and the Sussex Stakes-G1 (twice). Frankel was the Leading Sire in Britain & Ireland in 2021.
Frankel and Teofilo, both champion juvenile performers, paradoxically are known best for getting progeny excelling at a mile. Both stallions should prove to make outstanding broodmare sires.
Teofilo is by Galileo from Speirbhean by Danehill from Saviour by Majestic Light. A handsome bay colt who grew to be 16.2 hands high, he was born in Ireland in February 2004. Teofilo’s breeder was Jim Bolger and the homebred colt was raced by Jim’s wife to become Champion European Two Year-Old winning all five starts – the Dewhurst Stakes-G1in England, and the National Stakes-G1, Futurity Stakes-G2, Listed Tyros Stakes and Curragh EBF 2YO Maiden in Ireland.
In the National Stakes-G1 Teofilo defeated Aidan O’Brien’s crack juvenile Holy Roman Emperor, scoring by one and a quarter lengths. Jim Bolger declared Teofilo the best horse he had ever trained and as a result, the champion colt was made favourite for the following year’s classics. However, whilst in trackwork during April of 2007, the colt suffered a knee injury and never ran again.
Teofilo was retired to stand at Kildangan Stud, Kildare and Darley shuttled him to Australia. Most of the stallion’s progeny inherited stamina and two of his sons won the VRC Melbourne Cup-G1 over 3,200m, namely Twilight Payment and Cross Counter. Frankel and Teofilo have sired many champion performers and we are fortunate to have two of Teofilo’s sons at stud. Palentino stands at Widden Victoria and Kermadec stands for Darley at Northwood Park.
Kermadec’s daughter Montefilia became the first filly to complete the Group 1 double of Flight Stakes and Spring Champion Stakes. He may have started off his stud career slowly, but his progeny are maturing into middle distance performers. They possess plenty of slow-twitch muscle fibre.
Kermadec earned $2.9 million and was one of his father’s fastest stakes winners, scoring in the George Main Stakes-G1 and Doncaster Handicap-G1 in the very best company.
Teofilo’s progeny include the $7.5 million earner Happy Clapper, 12 wins including the Epsom Handicap-G1, Doncaster Handicap-G1; the $4.4 million earner Humidor, 9 wins including the Australian Cup-G1, Memsie Stakes-G1; Palentino 5 wins including the Australian Guineas-G1; Exultant, Horse of the Year in Hong Kong; and Pleascach, winner of the Irish 1,000 Guineas-G1.
He also sired Parish Hall, 6 wins including the Dewhurst Stakes-G1; Cross Counter, winner of the Dubai Gold Cup-G2 and Melbourne Cup-G1; Twilight Payment, winner of the Melbourne Cup-G1, Curragh Cup-G2 twice; Sonntag, winner of the Queensland Derby-G1; Ajman Princess, winner of the Prix Jean Romanet-G1; champion Donjah, winner of the Preis von Europa-G1, Gran Premio del Jockey Club-G1; Trading Leather, winner of the Irish Derby-G1; Tawkeel, winner of the Prix Saint-Alary-G1; and Havana Gold, winner of the Prix Jean Prat-G1.
Palentino (Teofilo-Palatine Hill by Palace Music) won 5 races for $1,305,110 including the Australian Guineas-G1, Makybe Diva Stakes-G1, Blamey Stakes-G2 (all over 1600m) and was runner-up in the Alister Clark Stakes-G2 over 2040m at Moonee Valley.
Physically he is a very attractive chestnut horse with ideal shoulder angle and strong gaskins. To some extent he resembles his broodmare sire Palace Music, a real Northern Dancer type. Palentino’s dam won four times and produced Junipal, a Reset gelding who won 6 times including the Sandown Stakes-G3.
The pedigree pattern of Palentino reveals three sons of Northern Dancer, a double of Canada’s brilliant horse Victoria Park and Princequillo is reinforced four more times via Prince John, Sir Gaylord, Round Table and How (second dam of Tom Rolfe).
This ties in with Teofilo’s source of Princequillo via Miswaki’s grand-dam Rose Bower (Princequillo-Lea Lane by Nasrullah).
In the pedigree of Speirbhean (dam of Teofilo) she probably inherited stamina from her double of unbeaten Ribot, sire of His Majesty (son) and Irradiate (daughter). Furthermore, English Derby winner Papyrus (by Tracery) is featured via Ribot’s second dam Barbara Burrini and via Victoria Park’s second dam Iribelle.
Saviour, grand-dam of Teofilo, was bred by Tom Gentry (flamboyant son of my old friend Olin Gentry) who became famous for his lavish parties held a few days prior to Keeneland’s July Select Yearling Sales. I seem to recall Saviour as a young filly – she had plenty of bone, substance and rather small feet – typical of the Gallant Fox line. Saviour won three races over 9 to 11 furlongs in Ireland. Her dam Victorian Queen is 3 x 3 to E. P. Taylors’ foundation sire Windfields (Bunty Lawless-Nandi).
CROSS COUNTER
In the pedigree of Godolphin’s gelding Cross Counter, trained by Charlie Appleby, we should note that apart from being a product of mixing three-quarter brothers Sadler’s Wells and Nureyev, additional speed is derived from a double of Mr. Prospector. Note Graustark’s son Prove Out sired Pasadoble, the grand-dam of Kingmambo.
Cross Counter won six of 16 starts for 3,610,588 Pounds. Apart from his Melbourne Cup victory he scored in the Gordon Stakes G3 and was runner-up in the Great Voltiguer Stakes-G2 as a three year-old. Later he won the Dubai Gold Cup G2 and was placed in the Goodwood Cup-G1, Ascot Gold Cup-G1 and Henry II Stakes-G3.
Harking back to Palentino, perhaps a genetic affinity might exist with mares inheriting impact from the Nasruulah mix with Princequillo. Great ancestors such as Secretariat, Bold Lad, Mill Reef, Riverman etc. appear to be ideal strains to link up with Palentino’s special ancestry. Furthermore, one could justify reinforcing Sir Gaylord, product of the Royal Charger mix with Princequillo.
Sir Tristram’s input is one of the main reasons why Palentino displayed instant acceleration during his best victories. Sir Tristram happens to represent a mix of Sir Gaylord (dam by Princequillo) and Round Table (son of Princequillo). I am guessing daughters of More Than Ready (by Southern Halo) will suit sons of Teofilo and Frankel because this would introduce a “daughter” of Northern Dancer and add valuable genetic impact from famous mare La Troienne and her father Teddy – strains known to be highly compatible with Northern Dancer’s genotype.
From Teofilo’s first crop came Parish Hall, winner of the Dewhurst Stakes-G1 for Jim Bolger. This was a dream come true because Jim Bolger is so passionate when designing matings for his broodmares to breed stakes runners for his stable to compete against Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable. Parish Hall had previously finished second in the Tyros Stakes-G3 at Leopardstown and the Futurity Stakes-G2 at the Curragh. Unfortunately the colt went wrong at three years but eventually won the Diamond Stakes-G3, Meld Stakes-G3, Listed Alleged Stakes and was placed in other Group events.
Parish Hall has a tight pedigree pattern, not easy to balance. He is inbred 3 x 3 to Sadler’s Wells. His dam Halla Siamsa is half-sister to Light Heavy (by Teofilo) 3 wins including the Derby Trial Stakes-G2, Ballysax Stakes-G2 and third in the Irish Derby-G1.
Pleascach, a stakes-winning filly by Teofilo from Toirneach by Thunder Gulch was bred by Jim Bolger and raced initially by his wife until Godolphin purchased the filly. From 10 starts she won four times including the Irish 1,000 Guineas-G1, Yorkshire Oaks-G1 and Blue Wind Stakes-G3. Pleascach was a high-class performer being runner-up in the Ribblesdale Stakes-G2, Prix de l’Opera-G1, and Listed Salsabil Stakes.
An interesting feature of her pedigree is a double of His Majesty coming via Danehill’s dam Razyana and via a stakes-winning “son” County Pine, sire of the filly’s second dam Wandering Pine.
Irish Derby-G1 winner Trading Leather (Teofilo-Night Visit by Sinndar) is linebred four times to Northern Dancer with support from Native Dancer, but I was happy to see Mill Reef and Riverman in Night Visit’s pedigree, these being high-class ancestors with the nick of Nasrullah and Princequillo.
The genetic affinity between Sadler’s Wells and Danehill is well established with numerous Group 1 winners bred along these lines, as well as those with Fairy King (brother to Sadler’s Wells) and Danehill. Another progressive male line of Sadler’s Wells comes via New Zealand based stallion Tavistock.
I predict Palentino and Kermadec will be genetically compatible with mares from the line of Last Tycoon and his son O’Reilly. Waikato Stud own a wonderful collection of mares with O’Reilly in their make-up. O’Reilly is one of the most influential broodmare sires in New Zealand and comes from an outstanding female line. Bred by the Chittick family O’Reilly won four of six starts including the WRC Telegraph Handicap-G1, Levin RC Bayer Classic-G1, and was runner-up in the Cadbury Australian Guineas-G1. He was voted New Zealand’s Horse of the Year and Champion Sprinter/Miler.
One of the best sons of O’Reilly standing at stud is Grunt, bred by Trelawney Thoroughbreds. From 10 starts Grunt won five and earned $1,229,250. His major victories came in the Australian Guineas-G1, the Makybe Diva Stakes-G1 and the Colin Hayes Stakes-G1. Yulong Stud, Victoria stands the son of O’Reilly, a stallion with a triple cross of Pompeii Court (Tell-Port Damascus by Damascus). It could mean Grunt will transmit many valuable dominant genes to his progeny.
America’s Champion Grass horse Round Table (by Princequillo) appears four times in the pedigree of Grunt. Also duplicated is Hunza, co-Champion 2YO Filly who won 5 races including the VRC Breeders Plate. Hunza appears via two daughters, Courtza and Benazir – see pedigree.
Courtza born in 1986 was Champion 2YO and Champion 3YO Sprinter in Australia and New Zealand. Her five wins include the Golden Slipper Stakes-G1, Blue Diamond Stakes-G1, Cliquot Stakes-G2 and Prelude Stakes-G3.
Note, Courtza is actually three-parts sister to Eastern Princess. Grunt sired 145 live foals in his first crop who are now yearlings. He is out of a half-sister to New Zealand’s Horse of the Year and successful sire Ocean Park. Among O’Reilly’s sons at stud are Alamosa, and Shamexpress. Unfortunately, successful young sire Sacred Falls passed away.
A final note on Teofilo. The much-loved gelding Happy Clapper (Teofilo-Busking by Encosta de Lago) is linebred 4 x 4 to Sadler’s Wells and his brother Fairy King with support from Mr. Prospector via Miswaki (son) and Rolls (daughter). There is also linebreeding to Natalma and her sire champion Native Dancer via both sexes.
It looks like I Am Invincible might be the country’s next Leading Sire. He has outstanding progeny performing at the carnivals and is well represented at the Inglis Sydney Select Yearling Sales. His progeny will be in keen demand because he is so consistent as a sire of quality stakes runners. I love the way he stamps most of his foals. His son Home Affairs has a wonderful pedigree pattern and should make a successful sire.