One of the first stallion sons of Shamardal (by Giant's Causeway) is notable Group 1 sire Lope De Vega and that augurs well for the prospects of Bow Creek, a member of the team at Haras du Logis.​

He won two of his seven starts as a juvenile but improved considerably at the age of three, taking both the Group 2 Boomerang Mile at Leopardstown and Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood and earning a 119 rating from Timeform. A move to Australia saw him add further Group 2 success, this time over nine furlongs at Caulfield.

Bow Creek is the best of several winners out of the Group 3 Dahlia Stakes scorer Beneventa (by Most Welcome), a mare whose dam, Dara Dee (by Dara Monarch), was a half-sister to the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes winner and Group 2 Pretty Polly Stakes third Bay Empress (by Empery).

That filly became the dam of pattern-placed listed scorer Bela-M (by Ela-Mana-Mou) and grandam of the pattern-placed stakes winners Belle Syrienne (by Golan) and Brisk Breeze (by Monsun), and she is a half-sister to the dam of the Group 2 Vintage Stakes scorer Orizaba (by Orpen).

There are also plenty of blacktype horses to be found under the various branches of the fourth generation of the family, but nothing as talented as Bow Creek was. He could become a source of useful mile to 10 furlong horses.
​
BOW CREEK (IRE) – b.2011 – Shamardal – Beneventa, 6 wins inc Boomerang Mile (Gr2), Celebration Mile (Gr2), St George Stakes (Gr2), International Trial Stakes (L), 2nd Crystal Mile (Gr2), Dee Stakes (L), 3rd Thoroughbred Stakes (Gr3). Sire in France. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED:
​Bc - Jazz Art (by Dynaformer)     Arqana     December     €2,500
Bc - Perfect Bounty (by Bahamian Bounty)     Arqana     December     ​not sold

A Group 1 winner by the sire of Lope De Vega, Haras de Bonneval's young recruit was rated 123 by Timeform as a three-year-old and 126 at the age of four. His top win came when  beating Silverwave by one and a quarter lengths in the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Saint-Cloud, and there are 59 registered foals in his first crop.

He is a half-brother to the listed scorer Darabad (by Dansili) and he is the first foal out of the Grade 1 Hong Kong Vase heroine Daryakana (by Selkirk), a mare whose dam was France's three-year-old filly champion of 1999.

Daryaba (by Night Shift) won both the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and Group 1 Prix Vermeille that season, and in addition to her top-level winner she is also responsible for the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris scorer Daramsar (by Rainbow Quest) and pattern-placed stakes winner Daraybi (by Street Cry).​

Darata (by Vayrann), the third dam of Dariyan, won the Listed Prix des Tourelles and was runner-up in the Group 3 Prix du Royaumont and she is one of several notable fillies out of a one-time scorer called Darazina (by Labus).​

Gentle Genius (by Danehill) is an Australian-born Group 1-placed pattern winner and her offspring feature the dual Group 3-winning gelding Ironstein (by Zabeel). Her American-born half-sister Daralinsha (by Empery), on the other hand, won the Group 3 Prix Minerve and became a broodmare of considerable note.

The Group 2-placed Daraydala (by Royal Academy) is Daralinsha's only stakes winner on the track but that filly's pattern-placed half-sister Darashandeh (by Darshaan) gave us the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) scorer Darsi (by Polish Precedent), while Daralbayda (by Doyoun), who was also Group 3-placed, is the grandam of Darjina and third dam of Almanzor.

Dual champion Darjina (by Zamindar) won the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) in 2007 and her tally also featured the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and Group 1 Prix d'Astarte. She was also many times placed at the highest level and Timeform rated her 128 at three.

Almanzor (by Wootton Bassett), of course, was the standout 10-furlong horse in Europe in 2016 and the Timeform 133-rated champion elect has won the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club, Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes and Group 1 Champion Stakes. He stands at Haras d'Etreham, in France, and his first foals will arrive in 2019.

Darazina's daughters also include Zaldivar (by Honour And Glory), who is the dam of the Group 1-placed Group 2 winner Honorine (by Redoute's Choice), and Darabaka (by Doyoun), dam of leading stayer Far Cry (by Pharly) and ancestor of a string of pattern winners that includes Group/Grade 2 scorers Grandeur (by Verglas) and Muthmir (by Invincible Spirit).

​DARIYAN (FR) – b.2012 – Shamardal – Daryakana, 4 wins inc Prix Ganay (Gr1), Prix Eugene Adam (Gr2), 2nd Prix d'Ispahan (Gr1), Dubai City of Gold Stakes (Gr2), Prix Guillaume d'Ornano (Gr2), 3rd Hong Kong Vase (Gr1). Sire in France. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED:
Bf - Cheg (by Kheleyf)     Arqana     December     €15,000
Bf - Dance In The Park (by Walk In The Park)     Arqana     December     €33,000
Bf - Dentelle (by Apeldoorn)     Arqana     December     €30,000
Bc - Falabala (by Nayef)     Arqana     December     withdrawn
Bc - Fresh Strike (by Smart Strike)     Tattersalls     November     16,000gns
Bc - La Dame De Grace (by Medecis)     Arqana     December     not sold
Bc - La Vitava (by Grand Lodge)     Arqana     December     €2,000
Bc - Lady Melior (by Multiplex)     Arqana     December     not sold
Bc - Monteille (by Oasis Dream)     Arqana     December     not sold
Bf - Palace Secret (by Big Shuffle)     Arqana     December     €1,500 (p/s)
Bf - Ribadesella (by Hernando)     Tattersalls     December     ​withdrawn
Bf - Zewara (by Alhaarth)     Arqana     December     ​€1,500 (p/s)

The earliest stallion sons of Shamardal (by Giant's Causeway) with runners include Lope De Vega and Casamento and their early success augurs well for the prospects of those in earlier stages of their second career. Haras de Saint Arnoult's Sommerabend is among them and he covered 71 mares in his first season.

The high-class miler was prolific, his blacktype wins featured the Group 2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud and the Group 2 Grosse Europa Meile at Munich, and Timeform rated him 120 at the age of seven.

His dam, Sommernacht (by Monsun), was runner-up in the Group 3 Premio Primi Passi over six furlongs at San Siro as a juvenile, but his siblings include the 11-furlong Group 3 scorer Sommertag (by Tiger Hill), 10-furlong listed race winner Sinnerman (by Tiger Hill), and the stakes-placed middle-distance filly Sommerflora (by Pivotal).

His grandam, Shona (by Windwurf), was a stakes winner in Germany and her descendants also include the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin scorer Sirius (by Dashing Blade), whose best performance in 2016 was when runner-up to Ito in the Group 2 Gerling-Preis, also over 12 furlongs.

SOMMERABEND (GB) - b.2007 - Shamardal - Sommernacht, 12 wins inc Prix du Muguet (Gr2), Grosse Europa Meile (Gr2), Prix de la Porte Maillot (Gr3), Prix Edmond Blanc (Gr3), Prix Luthier (L), Prix Jacques de Bremond (L), Grand Prix Anjou-Bretagne (L), 2nd Prix du Palais-Royal (Gr3), Prix Perth (Gr3-twice), 3rd Prix Daniel Wildenstein (Gr2), Prix du Pin (Gr3-twice). Sire in France. First foals in 2016.

FOALS CATALOGUED (updated)
bf - Anasy (by Gone West)     Arqana     Dec      not sold
bc - Calle A Venise (by Invincible Spirit)     Arqana     Dec      €15,000
bc - Cruise Dancer (by Ishiguru)     Arqana     Dec      ​not sold
bf - Estella (by Acatenango)     Arqana     Dec      €20,000
bc - Fedora (by Cape Cross)     Arqana     Dec      €6,000

Mukhadram began his career with a one and three-quarter length win in the Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes over a mile at Newmarket and went on to become one of the leading middle-distance horses in Europe.

​He lost his unbeaten record when finishing fourth in the Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes at Ascot just two months after making that promising debut, his fifth and final start of the year saw him finish fifth to Bronze Angel in the Cambridgeshire, and Timeform rated him 109p. They rated him 126 at both four and five years of age.

He beat the tragically ill-fated Group 1 Irish Derby hero Trading Leather in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, also won the Group 2 York Stakes and Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes, chased home African Story in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup and Al Kazeem in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, and he was also placed in both the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and in a second edition of the Eclipse.

Mukhadram stands at Nunnery Stud and he covered 118 mares in his first season. He is a son of leading international sire Shamardal (by Giant's Causeway), whose early stallion sons feature the Group 1 sire Lope De Vega, and he comes from the family of Volksraad (by Green Desert), multiple champion sire in New Zealand.

His unraced dam Magic Tree (by Timber Country) is a half-sister to Group 1 Gran Criterium scorer Kirklees (by Jade Robbery) and to Group 1 St Leger and Grade 1 Hong Kong Vase hero Mastery (by Sulamani), their half-sister Artisti (by Cape Cross) is the dam of the Group 1-placed dual pattern winner Magic Artist (by Iffraaj), and the next dam is the sprint ace Cherokee Rose.

The fastest representative of Timeform 140-rated superstar and classic sire Dancing Brave (by Lyphard), Cherokee Rose won the Group 1 Sprint Cup and Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, she was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, and in addition to being the dam of the classic-placed pattern winner Bowman (by Irish River) and of Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint runner-up Ahtoug (by Byron), she has several daughters who made their name at stud.

Moyesii (by Diesis), grandam of Mukhadram, is one of them, obviously, but Hint of Spring (by Seeking The Gold) is the dam of the pattern -placed stakes winner Tulips (by Pivotal), and Cara Bella's (by Seeking The Gold) three Australian-born stakes winners include a Group 3 scorer.

The siblings also include Rose de France (by Diktat), and her Group 1-placed, Group 2-winning son Cable Bay (by Invincible Spirit) was one of the most popular new additions to the stallion ranks in 2016, covering 152 mares in his first season at Highclere Stud.

The aforementioned Volksraad, who was third in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes before going on to his string of sire championship titles and Group 1-winning offspring, was a half-brother to Cherokee Rose. The latter also has a full-sister of interest as she, Congress, is the grandam of the Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner and Grade 1 Cape Derby runner-up Noordhoek Flyer (by Pivotal), who is at stud in South Africa.

Mukhadram was a top-class racehorse, he is by the sire of Lope De Vega, and he comes from the family of multiple champion sire Volksraad, all of which gives him every chance of becoming a stallion of note.

There is no reason why he shouldn't be capable of getting two-year-old winners in the second half of the season, including some who could be blacktype horses, although it does seem likely that his best results will be with three-year-olds and older horses and from the time they race over a mile and upwards.

​That said, if some of that sprinting speed in his family is there to be passed on and if it matches up with the right mares, there could even be a few Mukhadram sprinters from time to time.

MUKHADRAM (GB) – b.2009 – Shamardal – Magic Tree, 5 wins inc Coral-Eclipse Stakes (Gr1), York Stakes (Gr2), Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Gr3), 2nd Dubai World Cup (Gr1), Prince of Wales's Stakes (Gr1), 3rd King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr1), Coral-Eclipse Stakes (Gr1). Sire in England. First foals in 2016.

FOALS CATALOGUED (updated)
chc – Beach Candy (by Footstepsinthesand)     Goffs     Nov     €3,000
chc – Blue Mistral (by Spinning World)     Tattersalls     Nov     20,000gms
bc – Burnt Fingers (by Kheleyf)     Tattersalls     Nov     48,000gns
bf – Cefira (by Distant View)     Tattersalls     Nov     4,000gns
bc – Chalet Girl (by Oasis Dream)     Goffs     Nov     €38,000
bc – Comma (by Kingmambo)     Tattersalls     Nov     15,000gns
b/brf – Deire Na Sli (by Aussie Rules)     Tattersalls     Nov     22,000gns
bc – Eolith (by Pastoral Pursuits)     Tattersalls     Nov     22,000gns
bf – Euro Empire (by Bartok)     Tattersalls     Nov     15,000gns
chf – Excellerator (by Exceed And Excel)     Goffs     Nov     not sold
chc – Hoh Chi Min (by Efisio)     Tattersalls     Nov     35,000gns
chf – Jakarta Jade (by Royal Abjar)     Tattersalls     Nov     4,000gns
bc – Kayd Kodaun (by Traditionally)     Tattersalls     Nov     52,000gns
bc – Lady Catherine (by Bering)     Goffs     Nov     not sold
chc – Lady Tabitha (by Tamayuz)     Tattersalls     Nov     30,000gns
bc – Mancunian Way (by Green Desert)     Tattersalls     Nov     8,000gns
bc – Mountain Leap (by Sadler's Wells)     Goffs     Nov     not sold
bc – My Inspiration (by Invincible Spirit)     Tattersalls     Nov     120,000gns
bc – Nictate (by Teofilo)     Tattersalls     Nov     not sold
bc – Night Owl (by Night Shift)     Tattersalls     Nov     (p/s) 2,000gns
bf – Nutkin (by Act One)     Tattersalls     Nov     55,000gns
bc – Oulianovsk (by Peintre Celebre)     Tattersalls     Nov     52,000gns
chc – Pasithea (by Celtic Swing)     Tattersalls     Nov     30,000gns
chf – Pink Stone (by Bigstone)     Tattersalls     Nov     not sold
bf – Pivotal Silence (by Vita Rosa)     Tattersalls     Nov     not sold
bc – Pretty Girl (by Polish Precedent)     Tattersalls     Nov     9,000gns
bc – Quiet Elusive (by Elusive Quality)     Goffs     Nov     €3,500
bf – Rosa Midnight (by Lemon Drop Kid)     Goffs     Nov     withdrawn
bc – Royal Assent (by Royal Applause)     Tattersalls     Nov     16,000gns
bc – Royal Whisper (by Royal Applause)     Tattersalls     Nov     47,000gns
bc – Shawhill (by Dr Fong)     Goffs     Nov     €21,000
bf – Songseeker (by Oasis Dream)     Tattersalls     Nov     not sold
bc – Sweet Lemon (by Oratorio)     Tattersalls     Nov     withdrawn
bf – Taaluf (by Nayef)     Goffs     Nov     not sold
bc – Violet (by Mukaddamah)     Tattersalls     Nov     55,000gns
bf – Whirly Dancer (by Danehill Dancer)     Tattersalls     Nov     31,000gns
chc – Winter Dress (by Haafhd)     Tattersalls     Nov     22,000gns
bc – Wolumla (by Royal Applause)     Tattersalls     Nov     35,000gns
bf – Wulfrida (by King's Best)     Tattersalls IRE     Nov     withdrawn
bc – Zariziyna (by Dalakhani)     Goffs     Nov     €16,000