THE classic-placed sprinter-miler Danehill (Danzig) has had a profound influence on the breed. The prolific champion sire can be found somewhere in the pedigree of many of the world’s top flat horses and, in recent years, his influence in National Hunt circles has been growing.
Champs Elysees, Dylan Thomas, Indian Danehill, Jeremy, Mastercraftsman, Mountain High, Multiplex, Westerner and Zoffany are sons or male-line descendants who have made the top 100 in this season’s National Hunt sires’ championship. Classic sire Champs Elysees (Danehill) is dead, classic sire Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) is a leading flat stallion, and so is the Group 1 sire Zoffany (Dansili).
Jeremy is also dead, and his early demise was a big blow to the industry. The son of Danehill Dancer was a high-class racehorse, related to the brilliant Japanese middle-distance runner and phenomenal stallion Deep Impact (Sunday Silence), and his career was just beginning to take off at stud when he died, aged only 11. Success Days (new sire for 2020), Kool Kompany (yearlings in 2020), and Yellow Rosebud were among his best on the flat, but the ill-fated Grade 1 star Our Conor plus notables such as Jer’s Girl, Mister Fisher, Reserve Tank and Who Dares Wins are among his best under National Hunt rules.
Sumbal is also a son of Danehill Dancer, he was a €180,000 yearling and he is among the eye-catching additions to the stallion ranks in Ireland in 2020. The Annshoon Stud-based horse won the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe, was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt, Group 3 Prix Exbury and Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange, and all of his wins plus two of his pattern placings came on ground that was heavy or very soft. He spent a single season at Haras de Grandcamp in France, so he has foals on the ground now.
Linamix (Mendez) is another top flat sire who has made significant contributions in the National Hunt sector, and so it catches the eye that Sumbal is out of a daughter of that classic-winning grey. Alix Road was a runner-up in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris, she is also the dam of the listed scorer Lily Passion (Sea The Stars) and the Group 2-placed Lavendar Lane (Shamardal).
Alix Road is also a half-sister to the dam of the Group 3 scorer Viane Rose (Sevres Rose) and out of Life On The Road (Persian Heights), a half-sister to the listed winner West Side (Tel Quel).
Third dam Arkova (Irish River) is out of the Group 2 winner Singapore Girl (Lyphard), which makes her a half-sister to the Group 1-placed Group 2 victor Gunboat Diplomacy (Dominion), who sired the Grade 2-winning chaser Kario De Sormain from just 54 foals. All of this makes Sumbal a promising prospect.
SUMBAL (IRE), Grey 2012. Won three races, £167,906, over 1 mile 2 furlongs, at 3 years including, Prix Greffulhe, Saint-Cloud, Gr.2, also placed second in Prix d’Harcourt, Chantilly, Gr.2, Prix Exbury, Saint-Cloud, Gr.3, Prix du Prince d’Orange, Longchamp, Gr.3.
Retired to Stud in 2019.
Stands at: Annshoon Stud, Ballinclea, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny, Ireland.
Contact: Michael Shefflin or Debbie Mountain
Telephone: +353 (0)87 9786428 (Michael) or +974 6612 1795 (Debbie)
Email: annshoon@gmail.com
Web: www.annshoonstud.com
Fee: €2,500