Valia will no doubt have Group 1 ambitions following her impressive win in the Prix Thiberville and this unbeaten filly is the latest to emerge from a combination of two similarly bred stallions.
By the champion Sea The Stars (Cape Cross), Valia is 4×4 Danzig through Green Desert (pic: Shadwell Stud) and Danehill and the Green Desert/Danzig combination is one that, at first glance, is not one that automatically springs to mind as an obvious successful mix.
Given the success of Danzig at stud, it was inevitable inbreeding to him would begin to take hold, the same as inbreeding to his sire Northern Dancer did before him.
Physically they are suited – both powerfully made sprinters – and the same with Danehill. Dansili a little bigger and capable of siring high-class middle-distance performers.
All three have powerful female families – Green Desert a grandson of Courtly Dee, Danehill inbred to Almahmoud and Dansili out of Hasili.
For Valia, this is further reinforced with Sea The Stars a half-brother to Galileo out of Urban Sea. Indeed, the Galileo / Danehill combination is well proven and is extending generations through sons and grandsons of both stallions.
To date, Valia is the eighth stakes winner for Sea The Stars out of a mare carrying Danehill following Gr3 winners Lavender Star, Stella Mass and My Titania and Listed winners Baptism (in 2020), Star Terms, Rakan, Hebah and September Stars.
Rakan is out of a mare by Teofilo (Galileo), introducing a duplication of Urban Sea, while Lavender’s Blue is out of a mare by Danehill Dancer.
In addition to Valia, Sea The Stars has Gr3-placed Homer and Broad Street out of mares by Dansili and Rock Of Gibraltar is the broodmare sire of September Stars and the stakes placed Ridenza, and Lamu.
The German and French Group winner Quest The Moon is by the Deutsches Derby winner Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars) out of a mare by Rock of Gibraltar and Sea The Moon also has Irish Gr3 winner Hamariyna out of a mare by Danehill Dancer.
To date Sea The Stars is broodmare sire of three stakes winners, the Irish Gr3 winner Stela Star, a daughter of Australian Gr1 winner Epaulette, a grandson of Danehill, and Raakib Alhawa, a daughter of Kingman and inbred 3×4 to Green Desert.
Given Green Desert and Danehill stood in Europe there should be no real surprise that the combination has had ample chance to prove or disprove its efficacy.
Green Desert’s successful sons Cape Cross, Invincible Spirit stood in Europe while his son Volksraad was champion sire in New Zealand.
Cape Cross has the Hong Kong Gr1 winner and New Zealand-bred Able One out of a Danehill mare while Invincible Spirit has Australian Gr1 winner Loving Gaby out of a mare by Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) and this year’s July Cup winner Oxted is by Mayson (Invincible Spirit) out of a mare by Choisir (Danehill Dancer).
Successful Australian sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) has enjoyed good success with mares carrying Danehill in their pedigree like Gr1 winner Hellbent with a duplication of Green Desert while his Gr1 winner Brazen Beau has a duplication of Danzig, his Gr2 winner Libertini has Danehill as her maternal grandsire and Gr2 winner Fiesta is out of a Danehill Dancer mare.
Persian King is another example, by Kingman out of a mare by Dylan Thomas (Danehill) and with a duplication of brothers Kris and Diesis, while the redoubtable Laurens is bred on a reverse duplication of Danzig being by Siyouni, whose dam is by Danehill, out of a mare by Cape Cross.
Gr1 winner Havana Gold is 3×3 Danehill/Green Desert and is the sire of Gr1 winner Havana Grey with a 4×3 duplication of Green Desert and Italian Listed winner Havana View out of a mare by North Light (Danehill).
It would, of course, be foolish to think Valia owes her ability to this simple factor.
She comes from a successful female family cultivated by HH The Aga Khan in recent years, stemming from a mare involved in the purchase of the late Jean-Luc Lagardere’s bloodstock in 2005.
Vadsa (79 Halo – Rainbow’s Edge) was bred by E P Taylor and was Listed placed in the Prix Coronation for Lagardere.
From her descend the likes of Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Vahorimix (Linamix), Prix de Diane winner Valyra (Azamour), Prix d’Ispahan winner Valixir (Trempolino), Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Val Royal (Royal Academy) and Prix Saint-Alary winner Vadawina (Unfuwain), the latter a half-sister to Gr3 Prix Cleopatre winner Vadapolina (Trempolino), the granddam of Valia.