More than the usual interest is lavished on the progeny of new stallions, whose first Indian crops are about to appear in public. Is the Indian breeding industry going to be fortunate enough to unearth another Razeen or Placerville amongst them? Of course, it would take several months of performances to be able to collect the required volume of evidence to be able to pronounce an authoritative judgment. Nevertheless, many are happy with mere scraps of information, straws in the wind, anything that can enable an instant verdict!

ROYAL KINGDOM

MAJOR IMPACT

In the 2004-2005 season that commenced last November, the initial crops of former Ballydoyle resident Royal Kingdom (Fairy King – Allicance), incumbent at the Equus Stud in Maharashtra, and the unraced Nureyev, half-brother to Sillery, San Francisco, based at the Doaba Stud in Uttar Pradesh, commenced racing. The proven American-bred Major Impact (Roberto – Conveniently) also weighed in from the Manjri Stud, based in Maharashtra, with his first Indian-foaled youngsters. This trio of imported stallions was joined by the Indian-bred pair of Stavros (Tecorno – Mrs. Rose) and Groom Street (Inchinor – Bride Street).

It can be seen that Royal Kingdom and Major Impact are welcome additions to the Indian sire ranks. Both have produced a Graded Stakes winner apiece here – Holding Court for the former and Bratz for the latter. Stavros too, with better support, could carve a niche out for himself from his base at the Mare Haven Stud in Haryana.

Royal Kingdom was bred in Ireland by John R. Gaines LLC in partnership with Orpendale, a Coolmore associate. His sire, Fairy King (own-brother to Sadler’s Wells) stood at Coolmore when covering Allicance, a half-sister to Blushing Groom. Although Allicance could win only a solitary race in France, she possessed a touch of class, which she demonstrated by finishing second in the Prix de Flore, Gr.3, over 2,100 m. at Saint-Cloud and in the Prix des Tuileries, L., over 2,400 m. on heavy going at Longchamp. She was trained by the late maestro, Francois Boutin, ridden in all her races at 3 years by Cash Asmussen, and sported the silks of Greek shipping magnate, Stavros Niarchos.

Royal Kingdom commenced his career at Ballydoyle in Co. Tipperary in Ireland, under the supervision of Aidan O’Brien. He won his first three races as a two-year-old, a rare enough achievement, and thus showed he was way above the ordinary. His first two wins came over 7 furlongs at the Curragh, while the third was recorded over a mile in the Royal Lodge Stakes, Gr.2, at Ascot, where he pegged back Best Of The Bests (now a Darley stallion at Dalham Hall Stud) by half a length in a battling finish on heavy going. Mick Kinane, who rode Royal Kingdom in all his starts said, "He's a horse with great heart. He's very laid-back and shows nothing at home, but he does his job when he goes to the racecourse and I knew he'd never give in." Royal Kingdom’s owner, Michael Tabor, remarked after the race "He stayed on well and hopefully he will be a much better horse next year. Obviously he is among the best we have, and is a very good horse, but it is very difficult to compare them because they are all different types."

Perhaps it was a case of one visit too many to the well, but the odds-on Royal Kingdom, was beaten about 10 lengths at his final 2-year-old start, for which he was sent to Paris to contest the Criterium de Saint Cloud, Gr.1, over 2,000 m. on very heavy going. One suspects that the extra effort of racing in these extreme conditions took too much out of him, for he was never the same again, as two unplaced efforts at 3 years showed. The son of Fairy King was then retired and sold to India where, as a result of the patronage of his home mares as well as mares from the Nanoli and Manjri Studs, to name a few, he is well-placed to carve out his own kingdom of blue-blooded ‘royals’.

A late foal, Major Impact was not raced at 2 years. As a 3-year-old, he recorded his first victory in a maiden race going 1-1/16 miles at Hollywood Park before repeating in a 9 furlongs allowance event on the same track. A month later he gained his first – and only – Stakes victory by taking the Oceanside Stakes over a mile at Del Mar, and then finished third in the Del Mar Derby, Gr.2, beaten two lengths by Daros, three weeks later.

The flared nostrils of Modernise stood between Major Impact and what would have been a Graded Stakes victory in the Ascot Handicap at Bay Meadows in September, while he ended the season in November, finishing a close-up fifth – beaten just 1-1/2 lengths – in the Hollywood Derby, Gr.1, behind top-notchers Paradise Creek and Bien Bien. After a brief rest, Major Impact was brought back in the Charles H. Strub Stakes, Gr.1, on the main track at Santa Anita, where he acquitted himself well when third to Siberian Summer and Bertrando. His career-best effort came in his next start, when he was an unlucky third, beaten a total of a short neck, in the 10 furlongs Santa Anita Handicap, Gr.1. After making the board in the Mervy LeRoy Handicap, Gr.2, Major Impact closed out his career with a third-placed effort in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Gr.1, accounting for six rivals which included Marquetry and Latin American, but being unable to overhaul Best Pal and Bertrando.

Major Impact had done just about enough to warrant a berth at stud in North America; however, as a performer over 8 to 10 furlongs, he did not fit the profile of a Florida speedball producer and so Glen Hill stood him at Jonabell Farm in Lexington, where one of his barn-mates was none other than Affirmed. Major Impact did rather well for a stallion starting off at $3,500, and worked his way up to $5,000 before a fertility blip in 1999 blasted him off the landscape. With only 2 foals in 2000, he had become commercially unviable in North America and so was able to be bought for India, where incidentally, his fertility has returned to normal.

From 7 Kentucky-sired crops, he has already produced 79 winners of 318 races worth $6,632,467 in North America, and his better known produce included Graded Stakes winners Minor Wisdom (Hawthorne Derby, Gr.3), Queen Of Wilshire (Hawthorne Handicap, Gr.3) and Fortifier (Baldwin Stakes, Gr.3). With a supporting cast of eight other stakes winners in the U.S.A., – and now Bratz in India – Major Impact is all poised to live up to his name.