Diana family provides Rottgen with further Classic glory and a European breakthrough for Reliable Man

Erle's all the way success in the Group 1 Preis der Diana provided her Classic winning sire Reliable Man with his first European Group 1 and her own Gestut Rottgen family with its second victory in the Dusseldorf Classic.

Reliable Man, a son of Dalakhani, won the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix Niel in 2011, as well as finishing third in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris. The following year he was third in the Prix Ganay and fourth behind Danedream in the King George for Alain du Royer-Dupre and his breeder Sven Hanson, who owned him in various partnerships during his racing career.

The grey  was switched to Australia and the stable of Chris Waller and won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick before retiring to stud, having sustained a career-ending injury in victory.

He stood at Westbury in New Zealand and shuttled to Gestut Rottgen for four seasons, then to France for three years, before another two-year stint at Rottgen but he remained at Westbury last year and this.

Erle is one of 27 individual Stakes winners for Reliable Man, whose own pedigree is a Classic one. He is out of the Listed Ruby Stakes winner On Fair Stage, a daughter of Sadler's Wells and the Oaks and Irish Oaks winner Fair Salinia, who was also owned by Hanson.

On Fair Stage has also produced the Group 3 ATC Summer Cup winner I'm Imposing by Danehill Dancer and the French Listed winner Gale Force, a son Sinndar. She is a half-sister to the Group 3 Prix Quincey winner Perfect Vintage, Perfect Circle who won the Listed Sceptre Stakes and was fourth in the 1,000 Guineas and to the talented two mile chaser French Opera whose victories include the Game Spirit and Celebration Chases.

Prior to Erle's Dusseldorf success, all three of Reliable Man's Group 1 winners have come in Australasia and they are all fillies too. From his first southern hemisphere crop are the New Zealand Oaks winner Miss Sentimental and Inspirational Girl, winner of the WATC Railway Stakes. His second crop contains the Group 1 VRC Oaks winner Miami Bound.

Perfectly-named Eleganz topped the BBAG Yearling Sale at €300,000Credit: BBAG

Erle's family has been successful on the track and recently in the sales ring for Gestut Rottgen. Her year-younger half-sister Eleganz, from the final crop of the late Adlerflug, topped the BBAG Yearling Sale last September when making €300,000 to Hugo Merry for Blue Diamond Stud. 

Speaking at the time, Merry commented: "Her dam is a half-sister to a champion and she herself is an outstanding filly so hopefully she can live up to that."

Her dam is Kizingo who won once at four for Rottgen and is a daughter of Oasis Dream with Erle becoming the 15th individual Group 1 winner with Juddmonte's brilliant stallion as their broodmare sire.

Kizingo is a half-sister to the 2017 Group 3 Preis der Winterfavoriten winner and German champion two-year-old Erasmus, from Reliable Man's first European-bre4d crop.

Their dam, Enora by Noverre, won the Preis der Diana in 2010 for Rottgen and is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner and Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden and Preis von Europa second Egerton and to the Group 3 Oleander Rennen winner Ephraim. Eora is also a half-sister to Reliable Man's Listed winner and Group 3 Deutsches St Leger second Ernesto and to the Listed winner Ephigenie.

Another of her half-sisters, Elora by the German 2,000 Guineas winner Alkalde by Sternkonig, has foaled four blacktype performers headed by the Listed winners Empore and Enissa.

Kizingo foaled a colt this year from the final crop of the Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist, who had been standing at Rottgen prior to his untimely death at the age of 13.

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