Andrew Caulfield: Legatissimo

In these politically correct days, I occasionally notice an accusatory look in my children's eyes which translates as “you can't say that anymore.” For example it had escaped my attention that the word actress is apparently now widely considered offensive.

If you'll allow me a small digression, the all-encompassing use of the word “actor” was discussed in an interesting article by Stephen Pritchard in the British newspaper The Guardian as long as four years ago. It pointed out that:

“When the Observer and the Guardian published their new joint style guide last year [2010], this clause appeared: 'use for both male and female actors; do not use actress except when in name of award, eg Oscar for best actress.”

“It was the guide's view that 'actress' comes into the same category as authoress, comedienne, manageress, 'lady doctor', 'male nurse' and similar obsolete terms that date from a time when professions were largely the preserve of one sex (usually men). As Whoopi Goldberg put it in an interview with the paper: 'An actress can only play a woman. I'm an actor–I can play anything.'”

Suitably chastened, I therefore need to be careful when discussing the comparative merits of Europe's colts and fillies. No more mentions of “the so-called weaker sex.” But it isn't straight-forward is it? After yet another majestic display by the brilliant mare Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the G1 Prix Vermeille–her sixth win at the highest level–she surely qualifies as the queen of European racing. Or should that now be king?

By common consent the best of this year's European 3-year-old fillies are a very competitive bunch, capable of mixing it with the colts. This was confirmed by some of the weekend's Group 1 events, including the two controversial contests which provoked lengthy stewards' inquiries. In the G1 St Leger the determined Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) became the first filly to defeat the colts since User Friendly in 1992, only to be demoted to second. Then Galileo's daughter Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) divided the erratic Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and the hampered Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Champion S., with the half-length she had to spare over Free Eagle no doubt helping Golden Horn keep the first prize.

We also saw Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Akatea (Ire) (Shamardal) prove too strong for the males in the G1 Prix du Moulin and in a battle between the 3- and 4-year-old fillies in the G1 Matron S., it was the 3-year-old Legatissimo who proved comfortably the best.

The GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf is now the target for Legatissimo, a filly who has endeared herself to me with her rare combination of class, toughness and versatility, coupled with an exciting ability to quicken. Her record in her last six starts stands at four wins–three of them at G1 level–and a couple of short-head setbacks. One of those narrow defeats prevented her from becoming the only the second G1 1,000 Guineas winner to land the Oaks since 1990.

Legatissimo is by the former champion sire Danehill Dancer, whose last crop of any size was born in 2013 (his last handful of yearlings include a couple of colts in Goffs' Orby sale at the end of September and a filly in Book 1 of Tattersalls' October Sale).

The vendor of Danehill Dancer's daughter, out of a Listed winner by Dubawi, must be happy that the 2015 season has repeatedly reminded us that the female of the Danehill Dancer species is often deadlier than the male. No fewer than five of the stallion's 2015 Group/Graded winners are fillies and among them is Esoterique (Ire), another admirably versatile and talented performer who proved too strong for the males in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. The female quintet is completed by Waltzing Matilda (GII New York S.), Jazzi Top (GB) (G2 Prix de la Nonette) and Osaila (Ire) (G3 Nell Gwyn S.).

Danehill Dancer never won beyond seven furlongs and originally made his name as a sire of speedy 2-year-olds. However, he proved talented enough to work his way up the stallion ranks, ultimately earning himself a much more classic type of mare than had been the case during his early years at Kilsheelan Stud. The profile of his progeny has changed substantially, with five of this year's seven group winners winning over a mile and a quarter.

Of course Danehill Dancer has sired plenty of good colts, too. Indeed they include those successful stallions Mastercraftsman (Ire) and Choisir (Aus), but the fillies outnumber the colts nine to six among his 15 northern hemisphere Group 1 winners. Legatissimo follows Dancing Rain (Ire), Speciosa (Ire) and Again (Ire) as his fourth female classic winner. Esoterique had nearly added her name to this list in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches of 2013, when victory was snatched from her in the final strides.

Legatissimo very nearly emulated Dancing Rain's Oaks victory over a mile and a half. It is hardly surprising that she stays pretty well, as her dam, the mile-and-a-quarter winner Yummy Mummy, is a sister to that admirable middle-distance stayer Fame And Glory. A G1 winner at the ages of two, three, four and five, Fame And Glory (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) numbered the G1 Irish Derby, G1 Coronation Cup and the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot among his finest efforts.

Legatissimo's second dam, the Shirley Heights mare Gryada, was owned by Plantation Stud, which sold Yummy Mummy for 460,000gns as a 4-year-old. Gryada's dam Grimpola won the German 1,000 Guineas and finished third in the German Oaks.

Seven of Grimpola's eight foals were by members of the Mill Reef male line. It was a mating to Slip Anchor (GB) which produced Gonfalon, a three-parts-sister to Gryada. Gonfalon (GB) also made a substantial contribution to the family fortunes by producing three Group winners led by Gonbarda (Ger). This dual G1 winner over a mile and a half in turn became the dam of Darley's top-class Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).

Yummy Mummy is the third of Gryada's daughters to have produced a smart performer. The chances are that this daughter of Montjeu has further good winners in the pipeline. Her yearling filly by Redoute's Choice (Aus) is a three-parts-sister to Legatissimo and she also has a filly foal by Shamardal (Ire), sire of last week's impressive G2 Champagne S. winner Emotionless.

With nearly 40 group-winning daughters to his credit in the northern hemisphere, Danehill Dancer surely has a bright future as a broodmare sire. Remarkably, though, his daughters–the eldest of them already 16-years-old–had not been represented by a G1 winner until Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) wore down her shorter-priced stablemate Ballydoyle in Sunday's Moyglare Stud S.

To make sense of this, we have to factor in how much Danehill Dancer's fee changed over the course of his career. As I hinted earlier, he started out as cheap speed and his first five years were spent at fees ranging from only IR4,000gns to IR£9,000. Only his daughters aged 10 or under were sired at fees of €40,000 or more and it was his 2008 and 2009 foals which were conceived at his highest published fee of €115,000. It is reasonable to expect that the fillies sired at €115,000 generally have much brighter prospects as broodmares than their counterparts from the cheap early crops. Minding's dam, Lillie Langtry (Ire), was born in 2007, the result of a 75,000-euro fee.

In a Galileo trifecta in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., third-placed Alice Springs also has a dam by Danehill Dancer. Surely it is asking far too much that Galileo will one day enjoy as much success with Danehill Dancer's broodmare daughters as he has with mares by Danehill. Only last week we saw excellent efforts by several representatives of the Galileo-Danehill nick, including at Doncaster, where Bondi Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Fields of Athenry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) took first and third in the G1 St Leger and Gretchen (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) won the G2 Park Hill S.

However, with the youngest of Danehill's daughters being 12-years-old in 2016, the possibility exists that the emphasis will gradually switch to Danehill's grand-daughters. Galileo already has group winners out of daughters of Mozart (the Irish 2,000 Guineas and GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Magician), Holy Roman Emperor (the 2-year-old Johannes Vermeer, a winner at G3 level last week), Desert King, Rock of Gibraltar and Danehill Dancer.

While Danehill's daughters have so far produced 215 racing-age progeny to Galileo, Danehill Dancer's daughters have 55 foals of racing age by him. They already include six group winners–an impressive 11%–another of them being the Queen's G3 Acomb S. winner Recorder, out of the speedy Memory. Add in two listed winners and that becomes nearly 15% stakes winners, which matches Galileo's percentage with Danehill mares. Another six of the 55 out of Danehill Dancer mares have been group-placed.

This partnership clearly has a great deal to offer, but it isn't fair to make too many comparisons at this stage. Whereas there is one G1 winner among the Danehill Dancer 55, there are now 12 among Danehill's 215 (if Bondi Beach holds on to his St Leger victory at the appeal). Clearly the Danehill Dancer squad needs to produce a few more G1 winners before it can be compared to the Danehill team.

Incidentally, Minding's dam Lillie Langtry is also responsible for another of the six group winners – Kissed By Angels, winner of the G3 1,000 Guineas Trial. Lillie Langtry also produced Galileo fillies in 2014 and 2015. Lillie Langtry's record bears comparison with that of Legatissimo, as she too won the G1 Matron S. having earlier become a G1 winner in the Coronation S. And whereas Legatissimo is out of Yummy Mummy, Lillie Langtry is out of Hoity Toity!

Hoity Toity, a cheaply-bought cast off from Gainsborough Stud, never raced but her dam was a half-sister to two Nureyev colts which won G2 races now classified as G1. The first, Lead On Time, took the Prix Maurice de Gheest and the second, Great Commotion, won the Cork and Orrery S. (now the Golden Jubilee S.). Minding's fifth dam, Vive la Reine, was a sister to the brilliant Vaguely Noble, so this is a distinguished female line.