Best in Show dominates around the world
By Byron Rogers - Stallions.com.au - 10 July 2006
It is much more of a common occurrence to read about a particular sire rather than an outstanding mare providing a slew of stakes winners in a short period of time. Opportunity alone sees to this. However this weekend provided a chance for change – to highlight the outstanding mare Best In Show and her undeniable influence in breeding throughout the world.
The efforts of Best In Show occurred in Europe, understandably given her family’s success there, but spread across four countries.
In France the three year old filly Sabasha won the Prix Amandine L at Deauville. An improving filly, she is a daughter of the former crack 2yo Xaar, he being by the ill-fated Zafonic out of the stakes winning Monroe, a daughter of Best In Show. Xaar, whose efforts in the Northern Hemisphere far outstrip his performances in the South, almost had a stakes double with his G1 placed daughter Wake Up Maggie just failing to withstand the challenge of Spinning Queen in the Brownstown Stakes G3 at Leopardstown inIreland. All was not lost for the Best In Show tribe, Spinning Queen is a daughter of the royally bred Coolmore stallion Spinning World. A stallion with outstanding figures as far as stakes production is concerned, with maybe a criticism that his consistency overshadows an ability to get a really top class horse, Spinning World’s third dam is a full sister to the aforementioned Monroe, dam of Xaar.
Champion miler Observatory sired his third stakes winner from his first crop when his daughter Star Cluster won the Distaff Stakes L at Sandown Park in England. Star Cluster is out of the well related Danzig mare Didcoy, she being a daughter of Monroe. Finally in Germany the three year old colt Saddex dominated the German Derby Trial at Bremen by a widening four lengths. By Sadler’s Wells, Saddex is out of the Irish River mare Remote Romance, she being a half sister to Imperfect Circle, dam of Spinning World.
So there you have it, in one weekend two stakes winners sired by stallions from the Best In Show family and two new stakes winners for the family on the direct female line. Best In Show, Broodmare Of The Year in 1982, died in 1990 but her legacy is sure to continue for some time.