Picture: The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trauned Gobsmacked winning in the colours of Laurence Wernars under Keagan de Melo on Saturday. (Candiese Lenferna).
PEDIGREE PROFILE -GOBSMACKED
Sarah Whitelaw
Daughters of Darley’s late, top sire Shamardal made their presence felt in South Africa during the past racing season.
Not only is Shamardal’s daughter Shauntrel the dam of 2022 Listed Syringa Handicap winner Ululate, another daughter, Bold Nimph, is responsible for Saturday’s impressive G2 Prosport International Debutante presented by Gagasi FM winner Gobsmacked.
A once beaten, dual classic winner in France, Shamardal went onto become an outstanding stallion, despite his latter years being unable to cover large books of mares. To date, Shamardal has been responsible for over 160 stakes winners, with his progeny winning at the highest level in all of Australia, Britain, Canada Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and North America.
He is arguably best known as the sire of dual French classic winning, and leading sire, Lope De Vega, outstanding sprinter Blue Point, Hong Kong superstar Able Friend, and champion Pinatubo, with other notable performers sired by Shamardal including French 2000 Guineas winner Victor Ludorum, Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Tarnawa, and Coral-Eclipse winner Mukhadram.
Shamardal has also proved an outstanding broodmare sire with his daughters already responsible for such notable G1 winners as Althiqa, Awtaad, Converge Hello Youmzain, Latrobe, and Pretty Pollyanna.
A son of Giant’s Causeway (whose son Not This Time is responsible for Saturday’s G2 Jim Dandy Stakes winner Epicenter), Shamardal’s dam Helsinki’s dam was a full-sister to G1 Dubai World Cup winner and outstanding sire Street Cry. The latter also made his mark as a broodmare sire in South Africa last season, with Street Cry’s dual G3 winning daughter Hollywoodboulevard dam of 2022 G3 Western Province Nomads Champagne Stakes winner Walk Of Fame.
Shamardal’s locally based daughter Bold Nimph has proved a worthy representative of her prolific sire, with Gobsmacked being the second graded stakes winner produced by her dam.
A half-sister to Listed The Betting World Somerset 1200 winner Sky Link (by Hussonet) and G3 Starling Stakes runner up Bluroute (by Dubai Destination), Bold Nimph is also dam of the very talented Mighty High (by Pathfork),whose five career wins included triumphs in the 2018 G1 Allan Robertson Championship and 2020 G2 Senor Santa Stakes.
The unbeaten Gobsmacked, who has won her three starts by an aggregate of over seven lengths, is also a credit in the cap of her sire Querari. The latter was South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs, by both stakes and individual winners, for the 2021-2022 season, with Querari having also headed that list in 2018-2019.
Incidentally, Querari’s sire Oasis Dream sired G1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Pretty Pollyanna out of Shamardal’s daughter Unex Mona Lisa.
