The
precocious nature of the Acclamation breed saw another representative of the
line emerge as a potential star performer when Estidhkaar ran out an emphatic
winner of the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket last Saturday night.
A
quality colt by Acclamation's proven sire-son Dark Angel, Estidhkaar posted his
maiden black-type victory in the 1400-metre feature with a resounding four and
a half-length success. The manner of the youngster's performance duly earned
him consideration for all of the major 2-year-old events run in Europe later in
the season as well as a 25/1 quote for next year's Qipco Newmarket 2000 Guineas.
Estidhkaar
became the 10th individual stakes winner sired by Dark Angel, a Group 1 winning
son of Acclamation. Himself one of the leading juveniles of his own generation,
Dark Angel landed the Newmarket Middle Park Stakes (G1) during his only season
in training. A burgeoning stud career has since witnessed him responsible for
some of the most rapid British performers of the past few racing seasons
including dual Group 1 open sprinter Lethal Force.
One aspect of Dark Angel's stud career difficult to escape is the fact that three of his six Group winners to date have been produced from mares by Danzig-line stallions.
The former Yarraman Park shuttler Desert Style (Ire) is the maternal
grandsire of the aforementioned Lethal Force, while Desert Style's sire Green
Desert is responsible for the dam of Group 3 winner Heeraat.
Saturday's
eye-catching Superlative Stakes winner Estidhkaar is bred on much the same
lines. His damsire is Danetime (USA), an ill-fated son of Danehill that enjoyed
considerable success in Western Australia before his premature demise.
Very
much like Dark Angel, Emirates Park's second season stallion Harbour Watch
(Ire) is a former leading 2-year-old by Acclamation also retired to stud after
just one season of competition. Standing for an advertised service fee of just
$9900 (inc. GST), Harbour Watch provides local broodmare owners with the
opportunity to use an unbeaten member of a thriving sireline with yet another
top-quality European juvenile in its midst.
Harbour Watch (Ire) returns to Australia next month. Anyone wishing to inspect the exciting young stallion prospect before he commences his second local breeding season can do so during Emirates Park's open weekend over the Saturday-Sunday of August 23-24.
