Shirocco blows hot

To some, Shirocco may have been the surprise package among the successful freshman sires in 2010 but, given the tremendous support breeders have shown the young son of Monsun in the four years since he retired to stud, it’s no surprise to us that he has made such a promising start to his stud career.

From 42 runners in 2010, Shirocco has sired 11 individual winners and three black-type performers. Leading the way for the first-crop winners is Jardina, a daughter of the Platini mare Juvena, who was second on debut at Mulheim on 10 September before striding to Listed glory in the Preis des Union Gestüts at Cologne a little over a fortnight later.

As Shirocco started his racing career in Germany and recorded much success on the continent by winning the Deutsches Derby, Gran Premio del Jockey Club and Prix Foy, he was naturally patronised by breeders throughout Europe. In France, Grand Vent, currently owning a Time form rating of 101, won over a mile at Maisons-Laffitte in September before being placed in the G2 Prix Thomas Bryon on 7 October, while Surfista impressed on her debut in August with a maiden win over seven furlongs.

In Ireland, Rising Wind has been another Shirocco juvenile to garner black type. Lady O’Reilly’s homebred filly out of the Group Three winner Right Key also won on debut, landing a one-mile Listowel maiden in September then running second in the Listed Lanwades & Staffordstown Stud Stakes at the Curragh on her most recent start. Now racing off a mark of 96p, Rising Wind is clearly held in high regard by her connections as she holds an entry for next year’s Darley Irish Oaks.

Well-known psychic Mystic Meg clearly predicted a very bright future for Shirocco at stud when she sent her Petardia mare Mega to him in his first season and she has been richly rewarded with the debut win of Mystic Winds.

Sheikh Hamdan also supported Shirocco in his first year and has seen his daughter Tameen carry his colours to victory at Nottingham on 29 September. The sheikh’s younger brother Sheikh Ahmed also has a promising Shirocco juvenile on his hands in the shape of the Darley-bred Mijhaar. The Michael Jarvis-trained colt has run just once, finishing runner-up at Newbury, but that run in a strong maiden has earned him a Timeform mark of 85p.

Another of Shirocco’s winners to catch the eye was the 84p-rated Stansonnit, who won a one-mile Novice Stakes by a cool five lengths in November. Trained by the noted dual-purpose handler Alan Swinbank, who is a master at bringing staying-bred horses along gently, there’s sure to be more to come from the gelded son of the Exit To Nowhere mare Twilight Sonnet. Stansonnit was bred in partnership by Robert Percival and Mrs A Lockhart.

While two-year-old form is certainly encouraging, there’s every reason to expect that Shirocco’s offspring will improve with age, just as he did himself. Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf at four, and the Coronation Cup and Jockey Club Cup at five, Shirocco’s brilliance was savoured over a number of years and there’s every reason to believe the same will be said of his offspring. Among those worth watching out for next season are half-brothers to the Group winners Adlerflug, Le Miracle, Royal Highness, Touch Of Land, Bellamy Cay and Santiago.