By Galileo out of a Danehill mare out of a Marscay mare, Highland Reel combines some of the very best bloodlines from both hemispheres.
Mares from the ROBERTO line have nicked well with Galileo, producing Gr1 winners including Mahbooba (dam by RED RANSOM), Igugu and Found (dams by INTIKHAB). Look for mares by or carrying AT TALAQ, LEAR FAN, DR FONG, SILVER HAWK, DYNAFORMER, KRIS S (sire of BROCCO) and TOUCHING WOOD. Sources of Red Ransom include mares by CHARGE FORWARD, DUPORTH, DOMESDAY, SRI PEKAN and ALL AMERICAN.
A high proportion (27%) of Galileo’s 60 Gr1 winners are out of mares by DANEHILL directly or his sons – 16 in total, including Highland Reel. While this discounts direct daughters of Danehill from being suitable for Highland Reel, three of Galileo’s Gr1 winners are out of mares by his son DANEHILL DANCER and in turn, one is by Danehill Dancer’s son, CHOISIR. Tail male line granddaughters and great granddaughters of DANEHILL will be suitable for Highland Reel, setting up a sex balanced duplication on the third or fourth remove.
Galileo’s dual Gr1 winner Red Rocks is out of Danehill’s tail female family relation, MACHIAVELLIAN (sire of STREET CRY and VETTORI). Other ALMAHMOUD family members to complement Danehill and Northern Dancer (twice) in Highland Reel include HALO (sire of DON’T SAY HALO, SUNDAY SILENCE and grandsire of MORE THAN READY and KEEP THE FAITH), EL MOXIE, ORPEN, WAY OF LIGHT, EXIT TO NOWHERE, ARCTIC TERN, ESPERERO, L’EMIGRANT, CANNONADE and YOUTHFUL LEGS.
Of the above Halo line damsires, MORE THAN READY is particularly appealing, as he is strong in the LA TROIENNE family, which is represented by a duplication of Buckpasser in Highland Reel. In addition, his pedigree creates desirable cluster pattern repetitions with Highland Reel.
Galileo’s son, the Gr1 Stradbroke Hcp winner Linton, is out of a CENTAINE mare. He can be sourced via KAPHERO, KINJITE, ALAMOSA, SCAREDEE CAT, KING OF PRUSSIA and AMALFI in mares’ pedigrees.
STORM CAT is one of Galileo’s most successful crosses. Daughters of sires such as HENNESSY (son JOHANNESBURG and grandson SCAT DADDY), GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (and son SHAMARDAL), BLACK MINNALOUSHE, VAN NISTELROOY and tale of the cat appeal.
Sadler’s Wells reacts well to mares carrying fellow GOODY TWO SHOES family members, including his brother FAIRY KING. Galileo’s dual Gr1 winner Red Rocks has FAIRY KING as his second damsire. Sources of Fairy King include ENCOSTA DE LAGO (and sons NORTHERN METEOR, DELAGO BROM, MANHATTAN RAIN etc), FALBRAV and HELISSIO. In addition, Highland Reel’s half sister Valdemoro, runner-up in the Gr1 VRC Oaks and Gr1 Vinery Stud Stakes, is by Encosta De Lago, as is the son of his dam’s half sister, Gr2 placed Decircles, indicating that his female line is also happy to accommodate Fairy King.
Mares from the sire line of Sadler’s Wells’ three-quarter brother NUREYEV have produced Galileo Gr1 winners out of mares by STRAVINSKY and THEATRICAL, with a further three by Nureyev’s grandson, PIVOTAL (sire of EXCELLENT ART and CAPTAIN RIO). Other Nureyev representatives to source include ASHKALANI, SPINNING WORLD, SOVIET LAD (sire of STARCRAFT and grandsire of STAR WITNESS) and PEINTRE CELEBRE.
ZABEEL mares really appeal, as he is out of a Nureyev mare and also carries family member Val De Loir.
THATCHING is yet another GOODY TWO SHOES family member that should work very well with Highland Reel. His sire Thatch is also from this line, being a full brother to Sadler’s Wells’ granddam, Special. Thatching can be found in mares with ARCHWAY, SHALFORD, PUISSANCE, MIND GAMES, TIROL, RUSTIC AMBER and his son SEQUALO in their pedigrees.
Other suitable GOODY TWO SHOES family members to seek in mares for Highland Reel include GEIGER COUNTER, INFLATE, VAL DE LOIR, WINDSOR SLIPPER, FOX MYTH, REFORM, CAMPO CATINO, TOPSIDER, and OPEN DAY.
The MR. PROSPECTOR sire line will no doubt be another source of winners for Highland Reel. Not only does Galileo work very well with this line (four Gr1 winners by Galileo have Mr. Prospector up close via their dams) but so does his damsire, Danehill. Mares with SECRET SAVINGS (and son DASH FOR CASH), FUSAICHI PEGASUS, HUSSONET, KINGMAMBO (sire of DUBAI DESTINATION, HENRYTHENAVIGATOR, KING CUGAT, KINGS BEST etc), MACHIAVELLIAN (sire of STREET CRY and VETTORI), UNBRIDLED’S SONG, E DUBAI, INFLATE, DISTORTED HUMOR, THUNDER GULCH, RHYTHM, STRAIGHT STRIKE, WOODMAN, FAPPIANO and GEIGER COUNTER in their pedigrees are also candidates.
FUSAICHI PEGASUS is the sire of Highland Reel’s dam’s Gr1 winning half brother, HARADASUN. Haradasun’s daughters will create a “Rasmussen Factor’ pattern with Highland Reel, bringing together different offspring of an important female. He is a son of Circles of Gold, while Highland Reel’s dam is a daughter of Circles of Gold.
