Inisherin maintains stellar family record as Shamardal claims another Group 1 from his final crop

When Rosallion provided his breeding operation with another Group 1 in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid made a telling statement.

"I am after stallions," he said. "That’s where the money comes".

The architect of Dubawi, whose broodmare Zomaradah was responsible for the game-changing 2022 champion sire, now has a second one in waiting from exactly the same source as the first after the jet-propelled victory of Inisherin in the Commonwealth Cup.

Reem Three, still on the scene at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud aged 21 and now in foal to Frankel, bore two Group 1 winners including last year’s Queen Anne scorer Triple Time, who himself has just finished his first covering season at the Newmarket operation at a fee of £10,000.

Heir apparent to the mile division, Rosallion, is out of her unraced New Approach daughter Rosaline, while Inisherin was produced from her other Group 1 scorer from the Prix Jean Romanet, Ajman Princess.

There was a similarity again in the sheikh’s use of sire. While Rosallion is from the first crop of young sensation Blue Point, Inisherin is from the very last intake sired by Blue Point’s father Shamardal, which had numbered at approximately 17 three-year-olds, from his brief final term in 2020 before he died that April aged 18 at Kildangan Stud.

Inisherin is closely related to Rosallion who won the St James's Palace Stakes on TuesdayCredit: Patrick McCann

After Inisherin ran sixth in the Guineas, Kevin Ryan and the owner-breeder decided to drop him in trip for the Sandy Lane Stakes and it has paid dividends ever since. The 9-4 favourite could be picked as a likely winner from some way out and came home well clear of Lake Forest and Jasour.

"The signs are there because we have Cape Byron [half-brother of Ajman Princess], he was a sprinter by Shamardal, the same sire," the owner said.

The Darley farm does not, however, need to start dusting down boxes for the pair just yet, the forthright Emirati adding quickly: "I’ll have them running next year. I like racing!"

Shamardal, the fine winner of the 2005 St James’s Palace Stakes, then staged at York, on his final start during a career which included the French Guineas and Derby double, has left plenty of other sons to follow in his footsteps in any case, such as Pinatubo, Earthlight and Victor Ludorum.

His last crop had fielded a major hope in Thursday’s Ribblesdale Stakes, the Oaks winner Dancing Rain’s promising daughter Diamond Rain, who folded very disappointingly to finish last. Indelible, a daughter of Juddmonte's exceptional racemare Midday, was best of those on the far side when fourth in the Sandringham.

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