Machiavellian

Machiavellian

Machiavellian was foaled in 1987, and his influence on the Thoroughbred is being felt the world over. By Mr Prospector out of Coup de Folie by Halo, he is also a half-brother through his dam to our very own Mogok, standing at Scott Bros. Mogok has already sired the likes of Rathmor-bred Gypsy’s Warning, The Apache and Orbison to name but a few.

Seven Time winning Champion Breeders Summerhill Stud have embraced Machiavellian’s sons at their farm being represented by KZN’s Champion Stallion Kahal, Mullins Bay, exciting first season sire Bankable through his sire Medicean, and Hobb Alwahtan residing at Newbury Farm.

Trained by Francois Boutin, Machiavellian was a successful racehorse, winning at the age of 2 all 3 of his starts, including the Longchamp Prix de la Salamandre Grade 1 over 1400 metres, the Deauville Prix Morny Grade 1 over 1200 metres and the Prix Yacowlef Listed over 1200 metres. He was crowned Champion European 2 year old as a result.

At 3 he won Maisons-Laffitte Prix Djebel Listed over 1400 metres, and was second in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas Grade 1, with fourth in the Curragh Irish 2000 Guineas Grade 1. He retired with four wins from seven starts and earnings of $355,790.

He retired to stud and stood his entire career at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud near Newmarket, his son Best Of The Bests currently also resides at Dalham Hall. He soon became on of Europe’s leading stallions, and sired two Dubai World Cup Grade 1 winners, Street Cry and Almutawakel.

He sired 759 foals with 48 Stakes winners, including the likes of Street Cry, Almutakwakel, Best Of The Bests, Invermark, Medicean (sire of Bankable), Place Episode, Patavellian, brilliant racemare Rebecca Sharp, Right Approach, Storming Home, Tie Black, Titus Livius, Vettori and West Wind, to name but a few.

He has left significant sons at stud, including Street Cry, sire of champion mare Zenyatta, as well as becoming an influential broodmare sire.

Machiavellian’s genetics have proved most successful with Northern Dancer/Danehill mares. He is closely related to Danehill from the family of the great Northern Dancer – Coup De Folie boasts the half-sisters Cosmah and Natalma (dam of Northern Dancer and granddam of Danehill) as her grandams. Summerhill Stud have this to say off their blog regarding their stallion acquistions:

“What stands out among all these sons of Machiavellian, is their affinity for mares descending from the Northern Dancer male line. All of Street Sense, Dutch Art and Emperor Napoleon carry his blood in their immediate ancestries, and they also have in common the highly desirable attribute of being stallions that are free of the best cross for Machiavellian himself, Northern Dancer. The circumstances of the situation are particularly fortuitous, since the pedigree of Machiavellian reveals his granddam, Raised The Standard, as a half sister to Northern Dancer. In addition, Machiavellian’s dam, Coup de Folie is by Halo, who like Northern Dancer, is a grandson of the mare Almahmoud.

With Northern Dancer- line mares in strong prevalence at Summerhill, it’s little surprise then that Kahal is not the only stallion on the farm carrying the blood of Machiavellian. He is already accompanied by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifah Al Maktoum’s Hobb Alwahtan (a half brother to Dubai Millenium) and they are likely to be joined this season, by (if he doesn’t carry on his racing career in Europe), by the exquisitely bred and highly performed Mullins Bay. Summerhill’s inclination towards the Mr. Prospector line as a source of complimentary blood for the vast concentration of Northern Dancer in the stud, appears to have hit the jackpot in its identification of Machiavellian as one of the best “truckers” of this attribute”.

Sadly at age 17 he was euthanized following a bout with laminitis. He had been withdrawn from covering duties early in the spring because the disease.