SANTIAGO looks certain to be among the busiest new recruits of the 2022 season, and although he is being aimed at the National Hunt sector and represents the branch of Sadler’s Wells’s male line that has made the biggest impact with hurdlers and chasers, it would be great to see some intrepid flat breeders support him too.

This classic-winning son of the wide-margin Derby hero Authorized (Montjeu) represents a branch of one of the most famous families in the stud book, one that has produced a string of notable stallions.

Santiago is one of six top-level winners among 35 blacktype scorers on the flat by his now Turkey-based sire, and although the horse never stood as a National Hunt sire his offspring are much sought-after in that sector where four have won at least one Grade 1 and 17 others have won a blacktype contest.

Nichols Canyon and Tiger Roll have been the standouts among them, Let Me Love is a Grade 1 chase winner at Auteuil, Echoes In Rain’s wins are headed by the Grade 1 Champion Novices’ Hurdle at Punchestown, whereas Automated, Goshen, Zamdy Man and Zubayr are among the other graded winners.

Santiago was placed in a pair of seven-furlong maidens before getting off the mark over a mile at Listowel, and he beat Berkshire Rocco easily in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Ascot when next seen in action.

Narrow defeat

He followed that with his narrow defeat of Tiger Moth in the Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh, finished third to Stradivarius in the Group 1 Goodwood Cup a month after that, and was only beaten by a total of a length and a half when fourth to Galileo Chrome in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster.

It would have been interesting to see him return to the distance of his classic success, or even drop back to 10 furlongs, but his four-year-old campaign was as a stayer and chasing home Spanish Mission in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup was the best out of four runs.

Santiago is a half-brother to last year’s Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and Group 1 Prix Vermeille third La Joconde (Frankel) and out of Wadyhatta (Cape Cross), a nine-furlong-winning half-sister to the classic-placed French stakes winner Motamarris (Le Havre; new to Haras du Mazet in 2022).

Wadyhatta’s stakes-winning half-sister Riqa (Dubawi) is the dam of the multiple pattern-winning sprinter Tantheem (Teofilo) and they are out of Thamarat (Anabaa), a sprint winner and half-sister to the Group 1-winning miler and classic sire Tamayuz (Nayef). This is why, with the right mares, Santiago could get some talented flat horses at a bargain price.

Allegretta (Lombard) is the fifth dam of Santiago, which makes his fourth dam, Allez Les Trois (Riverman), a half-sister to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine and phenomenal broodmare Urban Sea (Miswaki).

The latter was the dam of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) and Black Sam Bellamy (Sadler’s Wells), whereas Allez Le Trois produced Anabaa Blue (Anabaa).

Race record

SANTIAGO (IRE), Bay 2017. Won three races, £545,285, from 1 mile to 1 mile 6 furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Irish Derby, Curragh, Gr.1, Queen’s Vase, Ascot, Gr.2, also placed second in Yorkshire Cup, York, Gr.2, and third in Goodwood Cup, Goodwood, Gr.1.

At stud

Retires to Stud in 2022.

Information

Stands at: Castlehyde Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork, P61 TR29, Ireland.

Contact: Tom Gaffney, Joe Hernon, David Magnier, Paddy Fleming, Cathal Murphy

Telephone: +353 (0)25 31966

Email: info@castlehyde.com

Web: www.coolmore.com

Fee: €4,500