So Mi Dar represents a powerful legacy

SO MI DAR (GB) - 2013 bay filly

One of the best-bred horses in the Stud Book advertised her Group 1 potential when winning the Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes over 10 furlongs at York.

This four-length defeat of Group 1 1000 Guineas fourth Fireglow saw her shoot to the top of the ante-post market for both the Group 1 Investec Derby and the Group 1 Investec Oaks, but five days later it was announced that she was lame and would miss Epsom. It is to be hoped that she recovers quickly and can return to action before long.

So Mi Dar is trained by John Gosden, she was bred by her owner Lord Lloyd-Webber's Watership Down Stud and she is a daughter of Dalham Hall Stud's outstanding stallion Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium). She is a half-sister to the multiple pattern-placed colt De Treville (by Oasis Dream) and these two talented performers are the first two progeny of the triple Group 1 star Dar Re Mi (by Singspiel).

Placed in her only starts at two, Dar Re Mi, who was also trained by Gosden, won a 10 furlong Sandown maiden by seven lengths, finished third behind Lush Lashes in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes and came off worst in a three-way photo finish for the Group 2 Prix de Mallaret over 12 furlongs at Saint-Cloud. Three weeks later she won a listed contest at Newmarket, followed-up with victory in the Group 3 Prix Minerve at Deauville, and then chased home her old rival Lush Lashes in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, run that year at Newmarket.

Dar Re Mi completed her three-year-old campaign by chasing home Zarkava in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille and taking third in the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu. At four she won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes over 10 furlongs at the Curragh, beat Sariska in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, and was first past the post in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille (relegated to fifth) before finishing a three and a half length fifth behind Sea The Stars in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

A month later she was third to Conduit in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf, and although her five-year-old campaign was restricted to just two appearances, she showed herself to be at least as good as ever with victory in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

With a dam like this, So Mi Dar could have a top-class career on the track and still remain in her mother's shadow. And Dar Re Mi could produce a string of stakes-winning progeny without matching the exploits of her dam, the Group 1 Prix Vermeille heroine Darara (by Top Ville), one of those exceptionally rare broodmares who have produced at least four individual Group/Grade 1-winning offspring.

Darazari (by Sadler's Wells) won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes in Australia, Diaghilev (by Sadler's Wells) won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong under the name River Dancer, and Derby-third Rewilding (by Tiger Hill) looked set for a glittering career on the track, and potentially at stud, after wins in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic and Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes of 2011, but tragically suffered a fatal injury during the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot that summer.

Darara was also responsible for the Group 1-placed multiple stakes winner Dariyoun (by Shahrastani), for Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) third Rhagaas (by Sadler's Wells), for Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes runner-up Kilimanjaro (by Shirley Heights), and for Dararita (by Halo), the mare who gave us the high-class stayer Darasim (by Kahyasi). He won the Group 2 Goodwood Cup and Group 2 Prix Kergorlay and the races in which he was placed included the Group 1 Gold Cup and Group 1 Prix du Cadran.

A daughter of the pattern-placed Delsy (by Abdos), Darara was bred and raced by the Aga Khan, and the Lloyd-Webbers acquired her as an 11-year-old when she was sold, with Kilimanjaro in utero, for IR£470,000 at the 1994 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale.

The best of her siblings was her classic-winning half-brother Darshaan (by Shirley Heights), the 1984 Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club hero stood at Gilltown Stud, and in addition to being the sire of a Group 1 roll of honour that includes standouts such as Dalakhani (classic sire), Kotashaan and Mark Of Esteem (classic sire), he has had powerful influence as a broodmare sire.

Their Group 2-winning half-sister Dalara (by Doyoun) gave the dual Group 1 scorer and dual Derby runner-up Daliapour (by Sadler's Wells), Delsy's descendants also include the triple Group 1 winner and new Haras du Logis stallion Hunter's Light (by Dubawi), and all of this represents just the highlights in the family's achievements.

So Mi Dar has a tremendous amount going for her, she is unbeaten in three starts and Timeform awarded her a figure of 120p for her York success. That is the same mark given to that week's Group 2 Dante Stakes winner Wings of Desire and it ranks her second only to Minding (122) among the three-year-old fillies. She could be anything, and it will be exciting to find out just how good she will be when she reaches her peak.