Coolmore Ireland Handbook 2020

MATING SUGGESTIONS: Rock of Gibraltar has sired more than 130 black-type winners worldwide. The BLUSHING GROOM line has played a leading role in this success story. His record with RAINBOW QUEST mares now stands at six stakes winners from 34 foals - 18 per cent - and one of those, Samitar, won the Irish 1,000 Guineas. His demoted 1,000 Guineas winner Jacqueline Quest is out of a mare by Rainbow Quest’s son CROCO ROUGE and he also has a 2yo Group winner out of a NASHWAN mare. Rock of Gibraltar is an excellent mate for the RAISE A NATIVE line. He sired Gr.1 winner Varenar from a daughter of MR PROSPECTOR and has Group winners out of MACHIAVELLIAN and LYCIUS mares. He also has southern hemisphere Gr.1 winners out of WOODMAN and JADE HUNTER mares. Another Danehill stallion with 3x3 inbreeding to Northern Dancer sired the Coventry Stakes winner Buratino from a KINGMAMBO mare. Rock of Gibraltar works well with the SHARPEN UP line. His Gr.1 winner Mount Nelson and Gr.2 winner Ebiyza are from SELKIRK mares, while Gr.3 winner Unilateral is from a SHARPEN UP mare and Gr.3 winner Utrecht is from a KRIS mare. From 12 foals out of BERING mares, Rock of Gibraltar has sired the smart French colt Sofast and the Australian Gr.3 winner Musidora. Bering’s son PENNEKAMP has provided further evidence that this line is very well suited by Rock of Gibraltar, siring the dam of the high-class French colt Prince Gibraltar, the Listed winner Princess Gibraltar and the Group-placed Sofia’s Rock from only seven foals. Rock of Gibraltar is inbred 3x3 to Northern Dancer, through Danzig and Be My Guest, but this hasn’t stopped him siring many northern hemisphere black-type earners from NORTHERN DANCER line mares. His dual Gr.1 winner Diamondrella is out of mare by DIXIELAND BAND and he has two Gr.3 winners out of NIGHT SHIFT mares, so they are inbred 4x4x3. The same applies to his Group performers out of SADLER’S WELLS mares, including Gr.3 winner Three Rocks and Gr.2 winner Kitty Matcham. His smart daughters Jacqueline Quest and Ebiyza have second dams by SADLER’S WELLS . Rock of Gibraltar has four black-type winners from 38 foals out of GALILEO mares (11%), including the progressive Gr.3 winner Kastasa and the Gr.3 winner Savanne. Rock of Gibraltar suits inbreeding to DANZIG . Classic-winner Samitar is inbred 3x4 to DANZIG , as her second dam is by GREEN DESERT , and the Gr.2 winner Belle de Crecy has a dam by CAPE CROSS . Mount Nelson also has a second line through GREEN DESERT . Gr.1-winning sprinter Society Rock is another inbred 3x4 to Danzig, his dam being by KEY OF LUCK . Rock of Gibraltar sired the Gr.3 winner Jallota from a NUREYEV line mare and the top Brazilian colt Gibraltar Point from a grand-daughter. He also has Listed winners out of mares by PEINTRE CELEBRE and PIVOTAL and his accomplished sons Prince Gibraltar and High Rock have NUREYEV mares as their second dams. Rock of Gibraltar has three good winners out of DARSHAAN mares, including the Gr.1 winner Eagle Mountain. He also has very useful winners from daughters of KENMARE , HIGHEST HONOR and KALDOUNEVEES , all members of the GREY SOVEREIGN male line. Rock of Gibraltar has two southern hemisphere Group winners out of ROBERTO line mares, plus the very useful Rock Me Baby from an ARCH mare. The Danzig male line has had some excellent results with mares from the AHONOORA line. Three of Rock of Gibraltar’s Gr.3 winners have dams by INDIAN RIDGE , as do the Gr.1-winning milers Excelebration and Romanised, by two other Danehill stallions with 3x3 inbreeding to Northern Dancer. His Listed winner Lincoln Rocks has a dam by NAMID . He also has three stakes winners, including two Gr.3 winners, from 20 foals out of MONSUN mares.

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