Cross Counter's Cup win another triumph for Godolphin breeding

As was the case when Masar won the Derby back in June, the success of Cross Counter in Tuesday's Lexus Melbourne Cup will have been all the sweeter for Sheikh Mohammed as the winner not only raced in his familiar royal blue silks, but is also a product of the Godolphin breeding programme.

Cross Counter is the 15th Group 1 winner by Darley's Teofilo, a reliable source of talented and progressive performers who stands at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, where he will be offered to breeders at a fee of €40,000 in 2019. Having also shuttled to Darley's Australian arm for six seasons between 2009 and 2017, Teofilo has left a notable imprint on the southern hemisphere scene.

Among his 15 Group 1 winners are antipodean stars Happy Clapper (Doncaster Mile, Canterbury Stakes, Epsom Handicap); Humidor (Memsie Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes, Australian Cup); Kermadec (George Main Stakes, Doncaster Mile); Palentino (Makybe Diva Stakes, Australian Guineas); and Sonntag (Queensland Derby).

In Europe, his leading performers include Irish Derby winner Trading Leather, Dewhurst Stakes scorer Parish Hall, Prix Jean Romanet heroine Ajman Princess and Irish 1,000 Guineas victress Pleascach.

Teofilo: the son of Galileo stands at Kildangan Stud in Ireland at €40,000Credit: Darley

Teofilo is also beginning to make his mark as a sire of sires, primarily through Tweenhills Stud resident Havana Gold, whose two crops of racing age are headed by Group 1-winning sprinter Havana Grey, who will retire to Whitsbury Manor Stud in 2019.

He also has three young sire sons at stud in Australia, namely Kermadec, Palentino and St Jean.

Given Godolphin's well-documented boycott on buying the progeny of Coolmore sires at source, there is a certain irony in Teofilo and New Approach, Masar's sire, supplying Sheikh Mohammed with such headline successes, as both are sons of the mighty Galileo.

The pair were not sourced from the sales, however, but instead were acquired privately from Jim Bolger, a strong and early supporter of Galileo, once they had proved their talent on the track.

The pair have somewhat mitigated Godolphin's self-imposed lack of access to Galileo, with New Approach having supplied seven elite winners - including Dawn Approach, another horse purchased by Godolphin from Jim Bolger - among 80 stakes performers, while Teofilo's stud record boasts 131 stakes horses.

Jim Bolger: central to Godolphin's access to GalileoCredit: Patrick McCann

Cross Counter is the second foal out of the Listed-placed Kingmambo mare Waitress, and is the fourth generation of his family to be bred by Sheikh Mohammed.

The ruler of Dubai's involvement with the line began with Rahaam, dam of Verglas and Cassandra Go, though the mare had been sold on to John McKay for a mere Ir£20,000 by the time the latter was bred.

Cassandra Go went on to be an important producer for Coolmore as the dam of Halfway To Heaven, who in turn delivered Magical and Rhododendron.

Rahaam's first foal was Persian Secret, a Listed-winning daughter of Persian Heights. In turn, Persian Secret produced the Group 3 Prix de Meautry winner Do The Honours, the dam of Waitress.

Since delivering Cross Counter, Waitress has produced a Farhh filly who is now two and named Bali Beach, having been exported to Spain after her sale to Alvaro Soto for just 3,500gns.

She also has a yearling filly by Helmet and was mated with New Approach in 2018.

Cross Counter's Melbourne success is not the first noteworthy victory supplied by a descendant of Persian Secret this year, as she is also an ancestress of Godolphin's dual Group 2-winning stayer Brundtland.

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