The Making Of Dual-Hemisphere Stars

There is nothing new about a stallion enjoying widespread success in both hemispheres. Even in the 19th century there was scope for a stallion such as Carbine (NZ) (Musket {GB}) to thrive both in Australia and England. In Australia, Carbine sired the VRC and/or AJC Derby winners Wallace (Aus), Amberite (Aus) and Charge (Aus), while his list of big-race winners in England was headed by 1906 Derby winner Spearmint (GB) and 1909 Ascot Gold Cup winner Bomba (GB).

However, up until the final years of the 20th century, if a stallion was to take high rank in both hemispheres, he had do so in two separate chapters of his stud career. Once it became common practice, however, to shuttle stallions regularly back and forward across the equator, the dual-hemisphere star could reign in both hemispheres simultaneously–as Danehill (Danzig) did so effectively.

Danehill won the first of his eight Australian General Sires' Premierships in 1994/95. That signified really quick-fire success, as in that season the members of his first Australian crop–which included the 1994 Golden Slipper winner Danzero (Aus)–were still aged only three. Success came slightly less quickly in Europe: he registered the first of his four GB/Ire general sires' championships in 2003, when his representatives were headed by the Derby winner North Light (Ire).

North Light's Derby victory, incidentally, proved to be the first leg of a remarkable Derby double for Danehill: five months later his son Elvstroem (Aus) took the Victoria Derby at Flemington. Bearing in mind that feature races in Melbourne generally carry more prestige than do their counterparts in Brisbane, this achievement eclipsed that of Grand Lodge (Chief's Crown) in 2000 when he sired the winners of the Derby (Sinndar {Ire}) and the Queensland Derby (Freemason {Aus}) not merely in the same year, but on the same day.

It was almost inevitable that the elite band of stallions capable to some degree of taking up the mantle of Danehill would include some of his sons. Of Danehill's European sons, the one who came closest to matching his father's international achievements was Danehill Dancer (Ire). Of Danehill's Australian Group 1 winners, Exceed And Excel (Aus) and Fastnet Rock (Aus) have been notable dual-hemisphere successes. Each of these three has been champion sire at home and has sired Group 1 winners in the other hemisphere. With three individual Irish-bred Group 1 winners in 2015, Fastnet Rock is doing particularly well at present.

It now remains to be seen whether another Australian champion sire, Redoute's Choice (Aus) (Danehill), can match Exceed And Excel and Fastnet Rock in scaling the heights in Europe. The reception given by purchasers around Europe last autumn to his first batch of French-conceived yearlings suggests that he can.

Another dual-hemisphere star has been More Than Ready (Southern Halo), whose years of shuttling between Vinery in Kentucky and Vinery in New South Wales have yielded consistently excellent results. Thanks to the wins in 2008 and '09 of Sebring (Aus) and Phelan Ready (Aus), More Than Ready stands proud alongside Star Kingdom (Ire) (Stardust {GB}), Vain (Aus) (Wilkes {Fr}), Danehill and Redoute's Choice as one of only five stallions to have sired consecutive Golden Slipper winners. In the U.S., he has enjoyed 2-year-old success at the Breeders' Cup, courtesy of 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pluck, while his six North American Grade I winners include 2013 Wood Memorial and Haskell Invitational winner Verrazano and 2014 Champagne S. winner Daredevil.

Darley did not feature in the vanguard at the start of the shuttle-stallion assault, but was fairly quick off the mark in joining the reverse-shuttle boom–and the enduring success of the aforementioned Exceed And Excel has ensured that it has done particularly well in this sphere. The coming months are going to be particularly exciting ones for Sheikh Mohammed's team as we see how things pan out for two of its best stallions: Lonhro (Aus) (Octagonal {NZ}) and Medaglia d'Oro (El Prado {Ire}).

Australia's champion sire of 2010/11, Lonhro is thoroughly proven Down Under, and his results there remain excellent. Currently the jury is still out in the Northern Hemisphere, and 2016 is going to be a crucial year for him. Beginning in 2012, he spent three years reverse-shuttling to Jonabell Farm in Kentucky. The members of his first US-conceived crop, therefore, have just turned three. With a strong representation of promising 3-year-olds in both the U.S. and Europe including GIII Pilgrim S. winner Isotherm, he is potentially set for a year which could put him up among the dual-hemisphere elite.

The next few months also offer mouth-watering potential for Medaglia d'Oro. The Sadler's Wells sires who have excelled in Australasia include High Chaparral (Ire) and Scenic (Ire), but Sadler's Wells's excellent grandson Medaglia d'Oro seems to be becoming the most notable dual-hemisphere star from the line to date.

In the U.S., Medaglia d'Oro's 3-year-old daughter Songbird could be set for an outstanding campaign, while in Australia Astern (Aus) is currently second favourite for the Golden Slipper. Following the success last year of Vancouver (Aus) (who has now joined Aidan O'Brien's stable in Ireland), victory there for Astern would make Medaglia d'Oro the only sixth sire to produce consecutive Slipper winners, and would confirm the stallion as an outstanding shuttling success story.