Awtaad a classic star from the family of Seattle Slew

AWTAAD (IRE) - 2013 brown horse

Not only is the classic-winning miler Awtaad a representative of the Green Desert branch of the Danzig (by Northern Dancer) line, but he comes from the family of a stallion whose most famous son forged a dynasty. He was one of two new stallions joining the team at Derrinstown Stud in 2017 – the other is Markaz – and he has 83 foals in his first crop.

He is by the sire of the Derby and Arc heroes Sea The Stars and Golden Horn, and the former is already well-established as being a leading European stallion and classic sire whose roll of honour includes dual Derby winner Harzand (first foals in 2018). Golden Horn's first yearlings were very popular at the sales and he will be a freshman sire of 2019.

Awtaad is the first foal out of Asheerah (by Shamardal) and both of his younger half-sisters have been stakes placed. His dam is stakes-placed half-sister to three blacktype-placed fillies – one of whom is the dam of Timeform 114p-rated Group 2 winner and potential classic colt Madhmoon (by Dawn Approach) – and she is out of Adaala (by Sahm), who won the Listed Kilboy Estate Stakes and was third in the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial Stakes.

His third dam, Alshoowg (by Riverman), is an unraced half-sister to the dam of classic-placed Group 2 May Hill Stakes winner Nasheej (by Swain) and his fourth dam is Ghashtah (by Nijinsky), an unraced full-sister to Seattle Dancer and half-sister to Lomond (by Northern Dancer) and to Seattle Slew (by Bold Reasoning).

Seattle Dancer, famously a $13.1 million yearling purchase in Keeneland, was a lightly-raced Group 1-placed dual Group 2 scorer on the track and his progeny included the Group/Grade 1 winners Caffe Latte, Pike Place Dancer and Seattle Rhyme. Lomond won the Group 1 2000 Guineas and his offspring featured Group 1 stars such as Marling, Valanour and River North.

Seattle Slew, of course, was the US Triple Crown hero of 1977 before going on to become a hugely influential sire whose male line has become one of the most dominant in North America, largely thanks to the exploits of his son A.P. Indy and the powerful line that champion has established (Bernardini, Malibu Moon, Pulpit, Tapit, etc).

Being related to a successful stallion boosts the prospects of a younger relation doing well in that role too, and as Awtaad is by the sire of Sea The Stars and from the family of three Group 1 sires, that places him highly among the most promising members of this cohort of young stallions. He looks likely to get his best in the seven to 14-furlong range, and if he lives up to his full potential then he could become a classic sire.

​AWTAAD (IRE) – br.2013 – Cape Cross – Asheerah, 5 wins inc Irish 2000 Guineas (Gr1), Solonaway Stakes (Gr2), Tetrarch Stakes (L), 3rd St James's Palace Stakes (Gr1). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED:
Bc - African Moonlight (by Halling)     Tattersalls     November     140,000gns
Bc - Allegrezza (by Sir Percy)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bc - Aoife Alainn (by Dr Fong)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bc - Breezeway (by Grand Lodge)     Tattersalls     December     30,000gns
Bf - Brown Butterly (by Medicean)     Goffs     November     €20,000
Bc - Dame Hester (by Diktat)     Tattersalls     November     170,000gns
Bf - Dayrose (by Daylami)     Tattersalls     November     40,000gns
Bf - Flirty Thirty (by Big Bad Bob)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Brf - Flowers Of Spring (by Celtic Swing)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bc - Gabardine (by Pivotal)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Great Hope (by Halling)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bf - Harmonic Note (by Nayef)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bf - Hi Katriona (by Second Empire)     Goffs     November     €64,000
Brc - Holda (by Docksider)     Goffs     November     €88,000
Bc - Holy Salt (by Holy Roman Emperor)     Goffs     November     €95,000
Bf - Intapeace (by Intikhab)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bf - Intimacy (by Teofilo)     Goffs     November     €40,000
Bc - Kanes Pass (by Clovodil)     Goffs     November     €85,000
Bc - Katla (by Majestic Missile)     Goffs     November     €58,000
Bc - La Negra (by Dark Angel)     Goffs     November     €26,000
Bc - Love Street (by Kitten’s Joy)     Goffs     November     €95,000
Bc - Lucky Clio (by Key Of Luck)     Goffs     November     €58,000
Bf - Magie Noire (by Marju)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Melodique (by Falco)     Tattersalls     November     withdrawn
Bc - Music And Dance (by Galileo)     Tattersalls     November     72,000gns
Bf - Na Zdorovie (by Cockney Rebel)     Goffs     November     €24,000
Bc - Nisriyna (by Intikhab)     Goffs     November     €170,000
Bc - Passaggio (by Pivotal)     Goffs     November     €65,000
Brf - Princess Mood (by Muhtarram)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bf - Royal Blush (by Royal Applause)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bc - Scatina (by Samum)     Tattersalls     November     48,000gns
Bc - Shamtari (by Alhaarth)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bf - Shanooan (by English Channel)     Goffs     November     €20,000
Bc - Sidney Girl (by Azamour)     Goffs     November     €48,000
Bf - Star Approval (by Hawk Wing)     Goffs     November     €100,000
Bc - Street Chic (by Street Cry)     Tattersalls     November     26,000gns
Bc - Surrey Storm (by Montjeu)     Goffs     November     €47,000
Bc - Switcher (by Whipper)     Goffs     November     €15,000
Bc - Venetian Beauty (by Lear Fan)     Goffs     November     €72,000
Bc - Wadaat (by Diktat)     Tattersalls     November     4,000gns
Bc - Witnessed (by Authorized)     Goffs     November     €70,000
Bc - Ziria (by Danehill Dancer)     Goffs     November     ​€27,000