Pedigree expert Cassie Tully looks at two of the weekend's feature races from Ireland and France and marvels at Allegretta's long-standing influence.
Urban Sea is a moniker which most of us will be familiar. One of the most documented and marvelled at broodmares of all time, she is of course the 1993 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner and dam of two of the world’s leading sires in Galileo and Sea The Stars.
Not to mention two other Group One winners and the band of daughters and granddaughters that reproduce these exceptional genes to blossom with top performers year on year.
However much of a world-changing, breed-shaping dynasty Urban Sea has created, she is in fact still just a very strong branch from what is a much larger tree.
Let’s take a step back to the Lingfield Oaks Trial-placed mare Allegretta (Lombard), who comes from a strong German family of top performers in their homeland.
While Urban Sea is by far the most prolific of Allegretta’s offspring, she has also produced 2000 Guineas winner and Epsom Derby-producing sire King’s Best, and numerous other daughters who have created their own fruitful branches; branches whose leaves fight their way above the Urban Sea canopy for some light more often than one would think.
Honing in on this weekend in particular, two of these individual branches have produced leading contenders for both of the Group One races taking place in Europe.
Allez Les Trois is Urban Sea’s younger sister by Riverman and, following in the footsteps of her elder sibling, has created quite a number of branches of her own. She won a Group Three in France and produced French Derby winner Anabaa Blue as well as a number of other stakes performers.
Without losing you amongst the foliage - stay with me - one of Allez Les Trois’ less high-profile progeny, a winning daughter of Nureyev named Al Ishq, has produced dual French Group One winner and sire Tamayuz, as well as Listed-placed daughter Thamarat. And Thamarat is the dam of Sunday’s Group One Prix d’Ispahan contender Motamarris.
The Stakes winner by Le Havre placed third in the French Derby last year and made a winning return this year in a Listed race at Compiegne. On top of this, Motamarris’ half-sister Wadyhatta has already been in the limelight this year as the dam of the Irish Derby winner, Santiago.
Meanwhile, skipping past a few other weighty branches of Allegretta, one of her younger daughters Saleela produced a winning mare by Elusive Quality who was bred to Australia and has given us the favourite for Saturday’s Irish Oaks, Cayenne Pepper.
This, in short, is a mating between a granddaughter and great-grandson of Allegretta (in-breeding of 4x3) and Cayenne Pepper has already proven that it is worthwhile to intertwine two different limbs of the remarkable mare.
Cayenne Pepper is stretching out to the Oaks distance for the first time for Jessica Harrington and ran second on her seasonal reappearance behind Magical in the Group One Pretty Polly three weeks ago.
Although Cayenne Pepper and Motamarris boast the backing of genes in this immense family, they are still competing at the highest level and aren’t without otherwise regally-bred opposition.
Aidan O’Brien leads the way with the challengers in the Oaks, all daughters of Galileo (Urban Sea’s branch of Allegretta) and nearly all related to previous Classic winners.
Ennistymon, second to Love in the Epsom version of this Classic two weeks ago, is the three-parts sister to Group Three scorer Liscanna, who bred Group One winners Brave Anna and Hit It A Bomb. Ennistymon also represents the same Galileo over Danehill Dancer cross as Epsom Derby winner Serpentine.
Snow is the Group Three winner over this distance who is out of Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Chelsea Rose and a full sister to St Leger and Grand Prix de Paris winner Kew Gardens.
Laburnum is a full sister to 2000 Guineas winner Roderic O’Conner and Passion is the full sister to Irish Derby and St Leger hero Capri.
Joseph O’Brien returns the daughter of New Approach New York Girl who ran in the Irish Derby and Ger Lyons completes the field with Listed winning Even So, who is out of a sister to Derby winner Dr Devious and the family of Oaks winner Dancing Rain and Guineas hero Saxon Warrior; as well as the Maxios daughter Yaxeni, who is from the family of French Derby winner Hernando.
Meanwhile, back in France in the Prix d’Ispahan, the Freddy Head trained Motamarris faces last year’s French Guineas winner Persian King who has a hefty French performing family behind him of Planteur, Policy Maker and Arc winner Peintre Celebre.
As well as opposition from the Kingman son, Roseman, out of a sister to champion filly Immortal Verse which is the family of Last Tycoon and those famous fillies Hyrangea and Hermosa.
And Shaman, by the sire who cleaned up pattern races across Europe last weekend, the late Shamardal, who is closely related to Group One scorers Intello, Occupandiste and Mondialiste.
So where will the Group One fruits be harvested from this weekend? We don’t yet know, but potentially from two of the less celebrated branches of the Allegretta tree.
Responsible gambling
We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.
Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.
