Mouthwatering matings suggest Shadwell should clear more space on its mantelpiece

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Here, Martin Stevens gets the lowdown on Shadwell's mating plans for 2024. Subscribers can get more great insight every Monday to Friday.

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Shadwell might have undergone a rationalisation in numbers in recent years, but its broodmare band still contains significant strength in depth.

The rich quality of its herd is demonstrated by the fact that it will be honoured with the Queen’s Silver Cup as leading British-based Flat breeder at this year’s TBA awards, based on racecourse results in Britain and Ireland in 2023.

The past year brought homebred Group 1 victories for Al Husn, Hukum and Mostahdaf, Group 2 successes for Alflaila, Israr and Mutasaabeq, and a Group 3 score for Alyanaabi, who was also runner-up in the Dewhurst Stakes.

Mostahdaf has now joined the Shadwell stallion squad at Beech House Stud in Newmarket, and the well bred son of Frankel will receive strong home support in his first season there, according to mating plans kindly shared by Sheikha Hissa’s operation with Good Morning Bloodstock.

The five mares he is being sent by Shadwell include one from its iconic Height Of Fashion family in Alaflaak, an unraced daughter of War Front and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Lahudood, and therefore a half-sister to Baaeed and Hukum’s dam Aghareed. She has already clicked with Mostahdaf’s damsire Dubawi to produce the smart filly Rowayeh.

Mostahdaf is also being sent Alaroos, a winning Golden Horn half-sister to Derby second Madhmoon; Alghabrah, a Group 3-placed Tamayuz half-sister to Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Awtaad; Ataared, a Listed-winning daughter of Muhaarar; and Wasaayef, a winning Kingman mare closely related to Irish 1,000 Guineas victress Nightime and her world champion son Ghaiyyath.

Mostahdaf’s Listed-winning dam Handassa, who has also produced dual Group 1 scorer Nazeef, is one of seven Shadwell mares who will visit his new Beech House Stud colleague Baaeed during his second season as a stallion.

Handassa: will visit BaaeedCredit: Patrick McCann

The others are Prix Saint-Alary heroine Tawkeel, a daughter of Teofilo and the Listed-winning Oasis Dream mare Rafaadah; Listed scorers Mehnah, a Frankel half-sister to Awtaad, and Zanbaq, an Oasis Dream mare descended from Serena’s Song; Listed-placed Ettisaal, a Dubawi half-sister to top miler Tamayuz; and the winners Khayzaraan, by Kingman and related to Tamayuz, and Tatweej, an Invincible Spirit three-parts sister to champion Palace Pier.

Sussex Stakes victor Mohaather, who completes the Beech House Stud roster and will be represented by his debut two-year-olds in 2024, will receive the New Approach mare Mukaddamah, who signed off from her racing career with a wide-margin victory in a Listed contest at Newcastle in November.

High-class two-year-old and Haydock Sprint Cup winner Minzaal, who stands under the Shadwell banner at Derrinstown Stud in County Kildare, also has home help in the shape of two winning and well related mares – Kidwah, a Kodiac half-sister to the useful filly Great Page, and Tawafuq, a daughter of Frankel whose granddam is Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Torrestrella.

Champion sprinter Muhaarar, who has sired top-level winners Eshaada and Marhaba Ya Sanafi and has moved to Haras du Petit Tellier in Normandy this year under the joint-ownership of Shadwell and a consortium of French breeders, receives Dujaa, an unraced Sea The Stars full-sister to the great Taghrooda.

An earlier union of Muhaarar and Taghrooda produced last year’s four and a half-length Princess of Wales’s Stakes winner Israr.

Shadwell have enjoyed wonderful success with Sea The Stars, breeding from him not only Oaks and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes victress Taghrooda but also the brilliant full-brothers Baaeed and Hukum and Group 1-placed pair Hadaatha and Raabihah.

It is no surprise to see the Gilltown Stud-based world champion receive some of the cream of the operation’s broodmare band again this year, then; and it is especially predictable that Baaeed and Hukum’s Listed-winning dam Aghareed is among their number.

The others to grace his court will be Nazeef, the top-notch Invincible Spirit half-sister to Mostahdaf; Mashmoom, a winning Muhaarar half-sister to Tamayuz; and Aneen, a Listed-placed Lawman half-sister to Awtaad who is the dam of last year’s exciting three-year-old filly Al Asifah.

Nazeef: will be on the dance card of Sea The StarsCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Frankel, another elite stallion with whom Shadwell has developed a fruitful relationship, having bred the likes of Mostahdaf and Al Asifah from him, has been chosen as the first partner for last year’s Nassau Stakes winner Al Husn, a daughter of Dubawi and Hadaatha.

Dubawi receives another strong raft of mares from Shadwell, led by British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Eshaada, a Muhaarar mare related to Tamayuz; and black-type scorers Maqsad, a Siyouni half-sister to last year’s classy juvenile Cambridge, and Zeyaadah, a daughter of Tamayuz from the powerful Reprocolor empire.

The Dalham Hall Stud stalwart is also set to cover Hameem, a Listed-placed Teofilo half-sister to Grand Prix de Deauville winner Tres Blue, and Manaajim, an unraced Muhaarar half-sister to Cheveley Park Stakes scorer Fairyland.

Dubawi’s growing number of blue-chip stallion sons are being well supported by Shadwell this season too.

Too Darn Hot, who stands alongside his sire at Dalham Hall, will once again cover Alyamaama, the unraced Kitten’s Joy half-sister to outstanding racemare Ghanaati who produced the sire's exciting three-year-old colt Alyanaabi, as well as Alandalos, a winning daughter of Invincible Spirit and Ghanaati.

Also lined up to visit him are Enbihaar, a five-time Group 2 scorer by Redoute’s Choice; Shaara, a Listed-winning daughter of Shamardal; Asheerah, the Listed-placed dam of Awtaad; and Manaafis, an unraced Frankel half-sister to high-class trio Eqtidaar, Massaat and Mujbar.

Modern Games, another multiple Group 1-winning son of Dubawi who joined the Dalham Hall roster this year, has on his dance card the Shadwell mares Adool, a smart daughter of Teofilo who is the dam of last month’s impressive Newcastle maiden winner Alhattan, and Majmu, an Australian-bred daughter of Redoute’s Choice who was successful at the highest level in South Africa.

Dubawi's Kildangan Stud-based sons Ghaiyyath and Night Of Thunder will also benefit from Shadwell’s blueblooded broodmare band.

The former, who is one of the most keenly anticipated freshmen this year, will cover Jahafil, a daughter of Kingman and Taghrooda, and Zaghaareed, an Intello half-sister to Baaeed, while the latter, the source of Shadwell-raced Jersey Stakes scorer Molatham and Coventry Stakes runner-up Qaader, will be sent Tarhib, a Listed-placed Dark Angel relation to Auguste Rodin.

New Bay, another exciting son of Dubawi based at Ballylinch Stud, is set to be visited by Shadwell mare Buhoor, an unraced Frankel half-sister to Tawkeel.

Shadwell is also tapping into Darley’s other currently potent sire-line of Shamardal, by using his sons Blue Point, the reigning champion freshman, and Pinatubo, the unbeaten multiple Group 1-winning two-year-old who looks set to make a big impression with his own debut two-year-olds this year.

Blue Point will cover at Kildangan the black-type winners Efaadah, a Dansili half-sister to Shamardal’s Group 1-placed daughter Alrahma; Manaafith, a daughter of Exceed And Excel related to Group 3-placed Turjomaan; and Tantheem, a Teofilo mare from the family of Tamayuz; as well as Altaayshah, an unraced Dark Angel full-sister to record-breaking sprinter Battaash.

Dalham Hall-based Pinatubo has meanwhile been assigned Al Raahba, an unraced Frankel half-sister to Baaeed, and her close relation Ojooba, a Listed-placed Dubawi full-sister to dual Meydan Group 3 winner Muntazah.

Palace Pier, another champion at Dalham Hall, will be visited by Alrashaka, a Frankel half-sister to Ojooba and Muntazah, and Tarfasha, a daughter of Teofilo who won the Blandford Stakes and found only Taghrooda too good in the Oaks, and has bred black-type performers Giladah, Rakan and Wuqood.

Tarfasha will be among Palace Pier's book of mares this year Credit: CAROLINE NORRIS

Palace Pier’s sire Kingman receives Tajaanus, a Group 3-winning daughter of Arcano, and that mare’s close relation Anghaam, a winning daughter of Frankel and 1,000 Guineas heroine Natagora. Also booked into him is Allayaali, a winning Dark Angel half-sister to top mare Just The Judge.

Among the other highlights of Shadwell’s mating plans in 2024 are a liaison between the mighty Taghrooda and Wootton Bassett.

Looking at all those mouthwatering matches, it’s easy to imagine that the operation will need to make space on the mantelpiece for more Queen’s Silver Cups in the years ahead.

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