16 Thursday, July 18, 2013 racingpost.com

PEDIGREE TONY MORRIS ANALYSIS

HE Farms website reminds me that in January 2001 I committed T the following to print: back in spotlight “’s foal tally is now numbered in four figures, but I wonder how many have bred a better runner than Abdullah’s Dansili? Don’t bet against his becoming Danehill’s best son.” with Grand Prix hero I make no claim to clairvoyance, those words having been prompted by a desire to indicate how desperately unlucky Dansili had been never to win a Group 1 race, and to draw attention FLINTSHIRE b c 4-4-2010 to the fact he would be able to count on the staunch support of his home team, whose broodmare band was the equal of any in the world. He was still a month away from covering his Admiral’s Voyage Pas De Nom first mare, but he was surely going to Petitioner be granted the chance to reach the Danehill top. Twelve years on, the identity of Razyana Danehill’s best stallion son is still open Spring Adieu Buckpasser to argument. Dansili now has the Dansili Natalma b 1996 winners of 88 European Pattern races to his credit, three fewer than Roseliere Coolmore’s Danehill Dancer, while Kadissya each has a sire’s title to his credit Kalkeen – Dansili in in 2006 and Danehill Dancer at home in 2009. High Line High Hat Time Call And there is another to consider in Kerali Redoute’s Choice, twice champion in Australia and a welcome addition Irule to the ranks of French in Nearctic 2013. Lady Angela Northern Dancer What we can say for certain is that Native Dancer Natalma Dansili is a remarkable sire. In his first Almahmoud six seasons he never covered for a fee Sadler’s Wells higher than £12,500, but he achieved Bold Reason Hail To Reason Lalun outstanding results with mares from a Fairy Bridge Forli variety of backgrounds, proving he Special could get speedy youngsters, Dance Routine Thong proficient milers, and high-class b 1999 Never Bend performers over middle and staying Milan Mill distances. Hardicanute His continued success as he came to Hardiemma Grand Cross attract more distinguished outside Apogee mares meant his fee in 2013 reached a Ile De Bourbon Nijinsky Roseliere new high of £80,000. And his Bourbon Girl connections can now celebrate the Fleet Girl Habitat arrival of a new star in Flintshire, his Fleet Noble impressive winner of last Saturday’s Bred by Juddmonte Farms Ltd Group 1 Grand Prix de . Dansili won five of his 14 races, Verdict never above Group 2 level in the Prix Very progressive , winning France’s real Derby with considerable elan du Muguet, but he finished in the vv frame seven times at the top level – vvFollowing in the hoofprints of his sire’s son and may well be of second in the Poule d’Essai des similar calibre Poulains, the and the vvRepresents a new high for his family after three successive generations were Prix de la Foret, third in the Prix thwarted at Group 1 level Jacques le Marois, the Prix du Moulin Flintshire: taking the same route as 2006 Arc winner Rail Link de Longchamp and the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and fourth in the . over intermediate trips. Flintshire is still inexperienced, with who would not want soft ground. But winner at Longchamp and Vichy. He was particularly unfortunate not to It is also noticeable that once only four runs behind him, and while he can always fall back on Intello, One of Dance Routine’s sisters, sign off with a victory at Churchill Dansili’s products have attained the word earlier in the season was that Ocovango and Sky Hunter as he seeks Concentric, won in Listed company at Downs, where he met horrendous Pattern or Graded status, they stable companion Intello was by some his eighth victory in Europe’s Chantilly and was Group 3-placed, and traffic problems and finished like a frequently go on to add further way his superior, the manner of his championship event. another, Light Ballet, was also Group train to be beaten a neck and a nose. successes at that level. Rail Link and victory in the 3-placed after having won her maiden. When he quit racing, we regarded Bewitched won four, and might lead one to suppose he may LINTSHIRE is the sixth Their Barathea half-brother Apsis was Dansili just as one of the most gifted Emulous five, Proviso six, and, most have caught up with the Prix du Pattern winner to have been twice a Group 3 winner before sons of his sire. He was the first foal of remarkably, the durable Famous Name Jockey Club hero now. He quickened sired by Dansili out of a embarking on a career at stud, while Hasili and we had yet to learn about racked up 13. up sharply when Maxime Guyon asked F Sadler’s Wells mare, after their half-sister Space the worth of the other half of his Dansili’s two most notable sons are for his effort, winning with any Passage Of Time, Father Quest won at Listed level. pedigree. In the years that followed we Rail Link and Harbinger, who both amount in hand, and only Ocovango, Time, Testosterone, and Dance Routine’s dam Apogee earned recognised him as brother to Banks achieved higher Racing Post Ratings hampered just as he had been at Thomas Chippendale, but the stallion Group 3 honours in the Prix de Hill, , and than their sire’s 126, the former Epsom, had the semblance of an has success with the daughters Royaumont and was one of several and half-brother to reaching a peak of 128 in his 2006 Arc excuse. of a wide variety of other horses, winners out of the Oaks and Irish Oaks Heat Haze – all Group 1 or Grade 1 de Triomphe win, the latter running to Fabre, now trainer of 12 Grand Prix mares by Darshaan and Rainbow runner-up Bourbon Girl, whose sire Ile winners. And he was the most highly a mark of 135 when he spreadeagled de Paris winners, does have one Quest also featuring with multiple De Bourbon, like Northern Dancer, rated of the males. The success he has his 2010 King George rivals and won concern about an Arc bid for Flintshire, scorers. features in both halves of Flintshire’s achieved is no mystery. by 11 lengths. The dam of Flintshire is Dance pedigree. Dansili was a specialist on the Rail Link’s route to the Arc took in Routine, who was a runner of some Bourbon Girl, foaled in 1984, was racecourse, 12 of his races being at a victories in the Group 3 , distinction herself, saddled by Fabre to the first of her family to have been mile, the other two at 7f and 1m1f. Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and ‘Flintshire is the land three races over middle distances, bred in the name of Juddmonte Farms. But there has been plenty of variation Group 2 , so it was no surprise including the Group 3 Prix de She, daughter Daring Miss and in the distance requirements of his to learn from Andre Fabre that sixth Pattern Royaumont and the Group 2 Prix de granddaughter Dance Routine all stock, who are all bays, bar the odd Flintshire, with the first two of those Royallieu. She also proved competitive had near-misses in Group 1 grey. While Fire Lily was very much a races already in the bag, will now winner by his sire in Classic company, chasing home company, but the family now has its sprinter, Illustrious Blue was best enjoy a summer’s rest and make the Bright Sky in the 2002 Prix de Diane. long-elusive top-level scorer in over long distances, notching a Niel his last stepping-stone en route out of a Sadler’s Flintshire is her fourth foal and the Flintshire, who may yet attain greater Group 2 victory in the 2m Goodwood to the Longchamp showpiece on best so far, improving on the record of glory back at Longchamp in the Cup, and others have thrived October 6. Wells mare’ his brother Dance Moves, a Listed autumn.