Shalaa’s Intriguing Pedigree (and why superior daughters of Dragon Pulse should visit him)

The now booked up dual Group 1 winning juvenile retires to Haras de Bouquetot for the 2017 season at €27,500 with his first book including dual Arc winner Treve. With his pedigree and race record, it’s easy to see why breeders were so eager to acquire a nomination.

He was the standout juvenile of 2015 in brushing aside Gutaifan to win the Prix Morny before beating Buratino snugly in the Middle Park Stakes (Gr.1). A bundle of speed, he ended his juvenile campaign with a Timeform rating of 123+, equalling that of this year’s top two-year-old Caravaggio.

Why he was so superior to his juvenile counterparts was, I believe, a combination of Danzig’s sprinting constitution with a bit more height and leg. The implication of this was the access to a longer stride whilst still having an explosive acceleration. Needless to say, it was a shame a pelvic injury forced him to miss the most of 2016 as he looked set to become one of the top sprinters of the millennium.

His dam Ghurra was one of Ed Dunlop’s rare debutante winners when winning a 6f maiden at Yarmouth but was programmed over further at three, running up to 1m2f. Catalogued in 2005 December Mares Sale, Ghurra was sold for 90,000gns to Kern/Lillingston. Even with the benefit of hindsight, one must wonder what influenced Shadwell to sell a 6f winning three-parts sister to Middle Park Stakes winner Mayil, especially given that Ghurra’s dam Futuh had produced three other stakes performers by the time of the sale. She proved a shrewd buy even before producing Shalaa, as she gained blacktype in the US when transferred to Ben Cecil (nephew of Henry) and returned to the December Mares Sale in 2008 realising 320,000gns to BBA Ireland for Mark Gittins.

Ghurra’s two visits to Montjeu produced the capable hurdlers Dai Bando and Pearl Castle but the 2012 covering to Invincible Spirit injected a level of class incomparable to her previous progeny. The additional speed Invincible Spirit brought to the equation also opened the door for 3X3 inbreeding to Danzig on the Green Desert and War Chant lines. The Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr.1) winner War Chant never quite realised his race performing heights at stud and fell out of fashion. From an initial fee of $75,000, he dwindled down to finish off his stud career at a mere $7,500. Yet, the mating with Shalaa’s grandam Futuh injected the potency of Danzig back through, given that seven of Futuh’s nine winners were stakes performers.

An illogically high amount of weight is often placed on nicks, but the Invincible Spirit – War Chant cross performs well in yielding three winners from as many runners, including Richard Fahey’s 100 rated and Woodcote Stakes (L.) placed sprinter Ballymore Castle. Why the mating was so successful for Shalaa in particular, might well be due to the duplication of blue hen Doubly Sure (pictured). Bred by Lord Howard de Walden, Doubly Sure lacked talent on the track placing just the once in five starts, but two of her four matings with Middle Park Stakes winner Sharpen Up left a lasting legacy in producing the outstanding broodmare sires Kris and Diesis. Inbreeding to these full siblings has proven to be fruitful in producing Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner (Gr.1) Vale Of York (his unraced full brother Life Force has recently been retired to Moortown Stud, Co. Wexford and his three parts brother by Kodiac topped Book 2 this year at 380,000gns), Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial (Gr.3) winner Rawaaq as well as the ultra-tough Ascot Stakes (H.) winning mare Jennies Jewel. Inbreeding and line breeding is another discussion in itself but in brief, it’s a method of reducing variation. Decreased variability through increasing the percentage of blood descending to a superior broodmare like Doubly Sure can only be of benefit to a breeder.

Aside from the obvious lines of Mr Prospector, Storm Cat, Sadler’s Wells, Seattle Slew and Roberto being suitable, owners of Dragon Pulse’s superior daughters should consider using Shalaa. The Group 2 winning son of Kyllachy far exceeded expectations in his first year at stud with 18% of his foals earning an RPR of 80+. This more or less equalled Mayson and Frankel at the head of the first crop sires table. With Mayson’s figures likely boosted by a wet summer and Frankel needing such figures to justify his book, Dragon Pulse emerges from this as one of the most favourable sub-€10k sires around. Significantly, he shares his 3rd dam with Shalaa’s 2nd dam, making any progeny from such a hypothetical mating 3sX5d inbred to Futuh.

Another plus is that Dragon Pulse is free of Danzig as although Danzig was a brilliant sire, he was unsound and only made it to the track on three occasions. His offset knees gave him trouble and more Danzig in a mating already highly concentrated in him could lead to even more soundness issues. This is something to be mindful of considering Shalaa barely made it to the track at three. Most of Dragon Pulse’s best fillies are out of Danzig-line mares, but David Simcock and Qatar Racing’s likeable 88 rated filly Soul Silver is four generations free of him. A €75,000 yearling, she could well achieve blacktype next season and is from the family of durable sprinters Flash McGahon and The Tatling. Although she’s unlikely to ever visit an Al Shaqab stallion, she at least provides an example of a suitable mating for Shalaa.

Ghurra Progeny Record:

2017: Covered by Invincible Spirit

2016: Barren to Charm Spirit

2015: f (High Chaparral) – 120,000gns vendor October Yearling Sales

2013: SHALAA c – Winner of 6 races including Darley Prix Morny (Gr.1), Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (Gr.1), Arqana July Stakes (Gr.2), Qatar Richmond Stakes (Gr.2), John Guest Bengough Stakes (Gr.3). Peak RPR of 120.

2012: Go White Lightning m (Lord Shanakill) – placed 4th of 5 on debut. Form later regressed. Peak RPR of 55. Sold for 70,000gns in 2015 December Mares Sale.

2011: Dai Bando g (Montjeu) – Winner over hurdles, also placed in Bar One Racing Juvenile 3-Y-O Hurdle (Gr.3). Peak RPR ratings 91 and 127h.

2010: Pearl Castle g (Montjeu) – Winner of 3 races, also the winner of 2 races over hurdles. Peak RPR ratings 98 and 138h.

2009: Nepali Princess m (Mr Greeley) – Unraced. Sold as a 3yo for 5,500gns. Sold in foal to Dark Angel for 40,000gns in 2013 December Mares Sale.