First winner at stud for former Coolmore colour bearer The United States

The United States, a Group 1-winning brother to the high-class fillies Hermosa and Hydrangea, got his stud career off to the dream start on Saturday when Drakenstein Stud's two-year-old homebred filly Sheela made a winning debut in the Listed Storm Bird Stakes at Vaal in South Africa.

The filly is out of Trip To India, a Listed-placed daughter of leading South African sire Trippi hailing from the family of European Group 1 winners such as Continent, who struck in the July Cup and Prix de l'Abbaye, and Grand Prix de Paris scorer Zambezi Sun.

The globe-trotting son of Galileo began his racing career with Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners, for whom he won the Group 3 KPMG Enterprise Stakes. At four he transferred to the Australian stable of Robert Hickmott to race for Melbourne Cup-winning owners Nick and Lloyd Williams.

He added his name to Galileo's 89 Group/Grade 1 winners when landing the 2016 Ranvet Stakes, and also landed a brace of Group 2 prizes down under, namely the Crystal Mile and the Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

The United States strikes a pose at MoutonshoekCredit: James Thomas

At the conclusion of his racing career The United States was purchased to stand at Moutonshoek in the Western Cape, which is run by Dr Bennie van der Merwe.

The 11-year-old The United States is the second foal out of Beauty Is Truth, a winner of the Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene bred and raced by Kilfrush Stud.

The daughter of the recently retired Pivotal has bred six winners, including Anglo-Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Hermosa, British Champions Fillies & Mares and Matron Stakes scorer Hydrangea and their Dansili half-sister Fire Lily, who won three Group 3s.

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