AT THE end of last season just $30 separated the top two sires by earnings on the freshman sires’ table. With the lead swapping from day to day in the final month of the season Smart Missile claimed the title but runner-up Love Conquers All certainly can hold his head high.
The son of Mossman, who stands at Sun Stud in Queensland, was represented by eight winners from just 22 runners from a first crop of 58 live foals conceived at a $13,750 fee, while the victor, on the high profile Arrowfield, NSW roster, had seven winners from 49 starters from a first crop of 151 live foals ($22,000). The race for first season honours proved the closest in many years with Smart Missile’s earnings being $454,705 and fifth placed Pour Moi on $430,175. Third was Dream Ahead (USA) ($447,550) and fourth Sepoy ($430,335).
The success of Love Conquers All was a great shot in the arm for his much underrated sire line through Mossman and Success Express (USA), both Gr.1-winning juveniles who also enjoyed success at stud with each getting a Golden Slipper winner among their Gr.1 winners. The trio are male line descendants of the great St Simon (Galopin-St Angela by King Tom), a stallion who was the Danehill of his era. Unbeaten in nine starts as a two and three year-old, he was Champion Sire in England nine times between 1890 and 1901. He retired to stud in 1886 at 50 guineas and by 1899 his fee was 500 guineas and remained at that level until his death in 1908. At that time he was considered to have only Stockwell as a rival for the title of the greatest sire ever to have stood in England.
A success around the globe via his sons and daughters, he proved too popular in England, his name saturating pedigrees and causing a decline in his male line. But it survived via an English Derby winner Persimmon and then on to Rose Prince, Prince Rose and Princequillo (in the US) and it is this branch that continues to Love Conquers All. Another line, via St Simon’s son, the Goodwood Cup winner Rabelais, is responsible for Ribot and his descendants. Of course Ribot’s son His Majesty is the dam sire of Danehill (USA).
Love Conquers All carries a 4mx5f cross of Speak John, a son of Princequillo. Like most modern day thoroughbreds he has several strains of St Simon in more remote removes of his pedigree, including via Sham’s dam Sequoia and Brauner’s daughter Beesandbirds, both daughters of Princequillo. Lady Laddo (NZ), the eighth dam of Love Conquers All, is by Sir Laddo (GB), a horse with a link to two of St Simon’s most famous daughters. His second dam Memoir won the English Oaks, St Leger and July Cup and is a sister to classic winner La Fleche (1000 Guineas, Oaks), whose descendents include Cinna.
The wheel turned full circle for Love Conquers All when he retired to what was then Eliza Park, Queensland in 2012. His sire Mossman and grandsire Success Express also stood at the property when it was known as Noble Park and owned by Peter and Wendy Moran. The Morans raced Mossman and his son took over the same box used by his sire.
Love Conquers All, whose dam counted the Avondale Gold Cup-Gr.1 among her seven wins, was the most expensive yearling by Mossman to that time, fetching a $400,000 bid from trainer John Hawkes at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. His year-older half-sister, the subsequent Listed winner She’s Meaner (Falvelon), made $300,000 at the 2007 sale, a far cry from the $NZ3000 price tag their dam attracted as a yearling in NZ in 1997, but a good indication of the super types she throws. Love Conquers All is very handsome indeed, the strongly made bay standing 16.1 hands.
The winner of eight races and $1.38m, a Gr.2 and multiple Gr.3 winner and three-times runner-up at Gr.1 level, including in the Doomben 10,000, Love Conquers All was well received in the sunshine state and his eight juvenile winners last season have made him one of the most popular sires in Queensland at this time. His first crop runners included Love Spy (Umatilla), winner of $172,000, Brisbane winners Boom Shucka (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Downloading (Anabaa), Social Conquest (Hussonet), Aquajewel (Falkirk), Winning Kiss (Commands) and Savanna Amour (Stravinsky) and he also has Listed race second Par Oneri (Flying Spur). This season’s winners include The Ambassadore (General Nediym), Kubis (Grosvenor), We Just Love It (Hennessy), How Big’s the Hole (King of Danes) and Fortensky (Choisir). His stock’s winning distance index is 1111m and he now has 12 winners and nine placed runners (from 31 starters) of close to $600,000.
It’s no surprise his progeny have plenty of get up and go as Love Conquers All showed ability from the moment he went into training with Team Hawkes, father John and sons Wayne and Michael. They obviously had a big opinion of the colt at two for his lone run at that age came in the Silver Slipper Stakes-Gr.2 on February 28, 2009, but the only horse he beat home in the field of eight that day was the favourite More Joyous, the race won by Melito.
Put away until early in the new season, the three year-old broke his maiden over 1150m at Randwick on September 2 and then won the Listed Sir Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) on October 17 in 1:09.15 for owner Nick Moraitis. Unplaced in the Ascot Vale-Gr.1, he was given a freshen up and won again next time out, over 1200m (1:09.99, dead track) at Randwick, beating Latin News by 1.5 lengths on December 26. He was a half-length third in the rich Magic Millions Trophy-RL (1400m, dead) behind Graceful Anna on January 9, 2010 and was given a break.
Resuming on May 29, he won three in succession, beating Pinwheel by 5.5 lengths over 1100m at Randwick after leading all the way on a heavy track (1:05.85), beating Gr.1 winner Hay List by three-quarters of a length in the Listed June Stakes there and running the 1100m in 1:04.59 on a slow track before trouncing Gr.1 performers Danleigh and Sniper’s Bullet (1.5 lengths, two lengths) in the Missile Stakes-Gr.3, again on a slow track (1200m, 1:12.48) as favourite.
Love Conquers All did not win again at four but was second in the George Ryder Stakes-Gr.1 (a half-head to Rangirangdoo), Doncaster Handicap-Gr.1 (two lengths on a heavy track to Sacred Choice), Doomben 10,000-Gr.1 (narrowly to Beaded), Expressway Stakes-Gr.2, Canterbury Stakes-Gr.2, to More Joyous and fourth in the Manikato Stakes-Gr.1 (behind Hay List).
The start of the new season saw a better result for Love Conquers All and he was successful first-up in The Shorts-Gr.2 (1200m, Rosehill), beating Albert The Fat and Winter King and running a smart 1:08.71 on the good surface on September 17, 2011. He was third behind Neeson on a dead track in the Premiere Stakes-Gr.2 and then went to Melbourne for a strong win in the MRC Moonga Stakes-Gr.3 at Caulfield, running the 1400m in 1:21.95 (track good) after sitting just off the pace and beating Albert The Fat by 1.5 lengths (Pinwheel third). He had just three more starts for fifths in the Cantala Stakes-Gr.1 (2.5 lengths) and Canterbury Stakes-Gr.2 (1.75 lengths) and was retired after a 10th place in the George Ryder-Gr.1 (3.2 lengths) on April 7, 2012. His race record reading eight wins, five seconds and two thirds in 24 starts for earnings of $1,380,000 and all but three of his runs were in stakes company.
His sire and dam also stood up to rigorous tests on the track with his dam having 37 starts for 17 first three appearances, seven of them wins and culminating in her success in the Avondale Gold Cup-Gr.1 (2200m) on December 6, 2000. She was also second to Giovana in the Waikato International-Gr.1 (2000m) and to Platonic in the Cuddle Stakes-Gr.3, winning from 1200m-2200m, although the majority of her successes were at 1600m.
Her sire Prince Salieri (Salieri (USA)-Caitie’s Kingdom by Planet Kingdom) was a dual Gr.1 winner (QTC Castlemaine Stakes, VATC Underwood Stakes) and also counted the VRC Blamey Stakes-Gr.2 and Carlyon Cup-Gr.2 among his 10 wins. He was also runner-up in the QTC Sires’ Produce-Gr.1, Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2, Craiglee Stakes-Gr.2, Turnbull Stakes-Gr.2 and C.F. Orr Stakes-Gr.2 and his dam also produced the Bagot Handicap-Gr.3 winner Cate’s Mill (Water Mill (GB)), Listed winners Marsking (Marscay) and Roseberry (Scenic (IRE)) and the dams of NZ Gr.3 winner Sokool (Bin Ajwaad (IRE)) and Gr.1 winner Mr Celebrity (Peintre Celebre (USA)). Prince Salieri’s sire Salieri (USA) (Accipiter-Hogan’s Sister by Prince John) was a very good sire at Widden Stud, living to a great age and getting champions like Schillaci and Shaftesbury Avenue. Five of his six wins came in stakes races including the Mill Reef Stakes-Gr.2 (6f) at Newbury and a trio of Gr.3 sprint contests, earning him a Timeform of 131. His sire is a son of Damascus (Teddy sire line) and his dam is by Del Mar Derby hero Speak John, also great-great grandsire of Love Conquers All. Prince Salieri’s second dam Kiss Me Cait (Showdown (GB)) won the VRC Oaks-Gr.1 and next dam Arctic Belle (Arctic Explorer (GB)) is a half-sister to dual Toorak Handicap-Gr.1 winner Nicopolis (Landau (GB)).
Prince Salieri had 46 winners from just 87 starters (52.9%) including Gr.1 winner She’s A Meanie (Musical Phantasy (USA)), Gr.3 winners from daughters of Kaoru Star and Lord Ballina and stakes placed runners from daughters of Star Way and Avaray. His daughters have 34 winners of $4.2m from 51 starters (66.7%) including four stakes winners by Mossman, Iglesia, Falvelon and Lord Ballina (7.8%). Prince Salieri is one of his sire’s six Gr.1 winners among 18SW and 300 winners. Salieri’s daughters have produced more than 535 winners of $35m, with their five Gr.1 winners (among 30SW) by Encosta de Lago, Bluebird, Barathea, Geiger Counter and Lacryma Cristi, as well as Gr.2 winner and successful sire Magic Albert (Zeditave).
Shekanwyn, second dam of Love Conquers All, won twice in NZ (1000m-1100m) and is a half-sister to Listed winner and Gr.1 placed Saxonvale and to the dam of Listed winner Mercury Mistress. Shekanwyn is by Musical Phantasy (USA) (Sham-Allie’s Serenade by Royal Serenade), a tough performer who won eight of his 57 starts from age two to six and was Gr.2 second at 9.5f. He left 93 winners of $3.1m in a relatively short stud career including Queensland Derby-Gr.1 hero Hidden Rhythm and Gr.2 winner and Gr.1 placed The Bishop, the leading NZ colt of 1986-87. Next dam Brauner Flight also won in NZ before producing nine winners. She is by the handy Italian performer Brauner, a son of champion US juvenile Never Bend and Round Table’s unraced three-quarter sister Beesandbirds (Princequillo-Love Game by Big Game from Knight’s Daughter by Sir Cosmo).
Love Conquers All’s fourth dam Heirship (Bally Royal (GB)) is a sister to Listed winner Royal Chick (dam of Maribyrnong Trial-LR winner Beau Chevaux) and is from Romantic Crown (Knight’s Romance (IRE)-Triple Crown by Wheriko). This is the family (C18) of Gr.1 winners Cut The Cake (Yamanin Vital (NZ)), Hello Dolly (Mi Preferido (USA)), Art Success (Pentire (GB)), along with Classic Spirit, Big Chill, Utah Saints, Cream Puff and No Fibs. Triple Crown by Wheriko (NZ) is dam of Hawkes Bay Cup winner Pinnacle Ridge. This family traces to Gipsy, a mare bred in NSW in 1840 by Rous Emmigrant (GB) from a mare said to be by Bay Camerton from a mare by Steeltrap.
Mossman, the sire of Love Conquers All, won the Castlemaine Stakes-Gr.1 (1600m) at Eagle Farm at two and the AAMI Vase-Gr.2 (2040m) at Moonee Valley at three. He also won over 1200m at Canterbury at two (4.75 lengths) and the VRC The Debonair-LR (1400m) at Flemington at three. He was second in the AJC Sires’ Produce-Gr.1 and third in the Champagne Stakes-Gr.1 before heading north to claim his Gr.1 for trainer Clarry Connors.
At three he was also runner-up in the Australian Guineas-Gr.1, Alister Clarke Stakes-Gr.2, was narrowly beaten in the George Ryder-Gr.1 when third behind Referral and Juggler and was fourth in the VRC Derby-Gr.1 and Caulfield Guineas-Gr.1, retiring with 14 first-four finishes in 22 starts and earnings of almost $935,000. A son of Success Express, Mossman is out of the Twig Moss (FR) mare Lichen Lady and has only one line of Northern Dancer in his five-generation pedigree (via Nijinsky). His eighth dam is the flying Mumtaz Mahal and his sixth dam Sun Princess (Solario-Mumtaz Begum by Blenheim) is the dam of Royal Charger (this is also the family of Octagonal).
Mossman, who is standing at Vinery, Scone on $16,500 this season, is the sire of 410 winners (70.3% of runners) of $53m and his 35SW (6%) include Gr.1 winners Buffering (Anabaa), whose 20 wins to 1300m have earned him more than $6.4m and include six local Gr.1 wins and success in the Medyan Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. He is also sire of the Golden Slipper-Gr.1 heroine Mossfun (Snitzel), NZ Oaks winner Miss Mossman (Danehill) and Coolmore Classic-Gr.1 winners Plucky Belle (Zabeel) and Ofcourseican (Canny Lad).
Ofcourseican’s dam, by Canny Lad, carries three lines of Star Kingdom) and Mossfun’s dam Eye For Fun has a 4fx2f double of Canny Lad. Mossman’s other Group winners include Our Sweet Moss (Straight Strike), Second Effort (Geiger Counter), Neeson (Don’t Forget Me), Hopfgarten (O’Reilly), Dothraki (Flying Spur), Triple Elegance (Quest For Fame), Hoofit (Danehill), Traitor (Flying Spur), Stirling Grove (Desert Prince), Royal Zulu Warrior (Wallenda) and the sisters Segments and Pure Energy (Bletchingly, their dam inbred to Star Kingdom). Several of his better winners are from Danehill or Danehill-line mares and he’s a valuable outcross for mares inbred to Northern Dancer. It’s worth noting that several Gr.1 winners sired by the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1 winner Success Express are from Star Kingdom-line mares and Mossman also has a good record with the line. Daughters of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill-Canny Lad cross) and his sons also look very appealing for Love Conquers All as do daughters of Choisir, who is bred on a similar cross (Danehill/Lunchtime/Biscay).
As mentioned earlier Love Conquers All has Speak John 4mx5f (and is line bred to his grandsire Princequillo, it’s a line worth further reinforcing when choosing mares for this young sire and it could pay to look for daughters of Reset (dam by Zeditave), Savabeel (to duplicate Success Express) or other Sir Tristram-line sires. Sir Tristram carries a 4fx3m of Princequillo and is 5mx4f to Selene (dam of Hyperion), blood that reacts well with Success Express and his descendants. Fillies from this line are proving very good broodmares too and this should apply to fillies by Love Conquers All in due course. Mossman’s daughters already have 92 winners of $6.6m (4SW), while Success Express (Hold Your Peace-Au Printemps by Dancing Champ) daughters have 663 winners of $63m and their 31 stakes winners include Cox Plate winner and current Champion NZ Sire Savabeel (Zabeel), outstanding sprinting mares Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock) and Gold Edition (Lion Hunter) and Cox Plate winner and young sire Widden Stud Shamus Award (Snitzel). n
