Rockfel winner Just Wonderful boasts a pedigree fit for a Classic queen

Just Wonderful staked her Classic claims with a decisive success in the Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday, a win that also saw her follow in the footsteps of her dam, Wading.

The two-year-old filly, bred by the Coolmore-affiliated Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt, is the third foal produced by Wading, a daughter of Montjeu who landed the 2011 Rockfel Stakes for the Coolmore-Ballydoyle axis.

Connections will be hoping the Rockfel is where the similarity ends between Just Wonderful and Wading, as the dam's success in the Group 2 proved to be her final race.

While the merits of Just Wonderful's form is likely to be debated at great length between now and next year's 1,000 Guineas, there can be no question that she boasts a pedigree fit for a Classic winner.

View full Rockfel Stakes result and replay

Wading is out of Cherry Hinton, a Group 3-placed Green Desert half-sister to the mighty Galileo and Sea The Stars and is out of the Arc-winning blue hen Urban Sea. Cherry Hinton has produced six winners, with Wading's siblings including Irish Oaks heroine Bracelet and this year's Belmont Oaks scorer Athena.

Since producing Just Wonderful the dam has also delivered a colt by War Front, now a yearling, and earlier this year had an American Pharoah foal, also a colt.

Just Wonderful is one of 77 Group winners sired by Dansili, who spent 18 years on covering duty at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud prior to his retirement earlier this year.

Dansili: sire of 77 Group winnersCredit: Juddmonte

The son of Danehill has already supplied 21 top-flight winners, including the 2014 1,000 Guineas winner Miss France.

Montjeu has also supplied the winner of the 1,000 Guineas as damsire, with Legatissimo, who is out of Yummy Mummy, claiming the 2015 renewal.

The Dansili-Montjeu cross has produced seven winners from nine runners, including the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes scorer Mahsoob

The Rockfel has been a springboard to Classic success in recent times, as Just The Judge, who won the race in 2012, went on to win the following year's Irish 1,000 Guineas.

Music Show, winner of the 2009 Rockfel, may not have won a Classic, having finished sixth behind Special Duty in the 1,000 Guineas and third behind Bethrah in the Irish equivalent, but she did go on to strike in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes.

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