It was somewhat ironic that Godolphin should again fall agonizingly short of claiming the Melbourne Cup as the winner, Shocking, is by a homebred Darley stallion that promises to take Sheikh Mohammad's often criticized breeding programme to another level.

There were already enough disappointments in shuttle stallions that breeders were not looking at them through rose coloured glasses anymore. In fact they were downright suspicious of anything that resembled a pedigree better suited to dirt tracks.

It did not bode well for Street Cry (pictured) that he left just 57 live foals from his first crop conceived from a fee of $38,500. Darley reacted swiftly the following year by slashing stallions fees in half and providing attractive incentives for breeders. It achieved the desires result. In his second season Street Cry (Ire) left 93 live foals from a fee of $16,500. He stayed at that fee for three years. But when not a single stakes-winner came from his first crop, the writing was on the wall for the son of Machiavellian whose star was on the rise in America where his first crop included the Grade 1 winners Street Sense, Zenyatta and Street Boss.

By the time Street Cry's second Australian crop began to make waves at three, the decision had already been made to leave him in Kentucky.

No less than six stakes-winners have come from that second crop including the outstanding Whobegotyou, the winner of the Caulfield Guineas (G1) last season. Owned by Laurence Eales, an unabashed fan of Street Cry (Ire), and trained by Mark Kavanagh, Whobegotyou was sent at favourite the Cox Plate but finished unplaced. Eales and Kavanagh did not have to wait long to make up for the disappointment.

Shocking is the sixth named foal of the British bred Danehill mare Maria Di Castiglia (GB). A three-time veteran of the sales ring in Australia, Maria Di Castiglia, in foal to King Of Kings, was sold by Coolmore Stud to Dowsett Thoroughbreds for $45,000 at the 1999 Easter broodmare Sale. She was back in the same sale ring four years later, in foal to Lujain, she made just $10,000 to the astute Bill Benson.

It was Benson that purchased Whobegotyou's dame Temple Of Peace (Jpn) for $5,250 when the future dual Group 1 winner was an unraced 2yo.

The following year, Benson's Emerald Thoroughbreds consigned Maria Di Castiglia (GB), with Shocking in utero, to the Inglis Christmas mixed thoroughbred sale where she caught the eye of Ilala Stud's George Fraser (pictured) who took the daughter of Danehill home for $20,000. She has since had colts by Filante and Dubleo (USA) before being covered by Street Cry's best son Street Sense (USA) in 2008.

Which brings us back to Street Cry (Ire). After a two-year absence Street Cry (Ire) retuned to Australia this year sporting a new fee of $110,000. His acceptance can also be gauged from the fact that he already has three Grade 1 winning sons, Street Sense (USA), Street Hero and Street Boss, standing in Australia this season. It has been a remarkable rise to the top by the once maligned son of Machiavellian who will take some running down for the honour of leading sire in 2009-10.