Shouk (GB)

1994 br m Shirley Heights - Souk (IRE) (Ahonoora)

Tattersalls' 2001 December Sale was a lively event.

Gerald Leigh received 1.5 million gns from Barouche Stud when parting with Zibilene, a sibling to Barathea, while a sister to Derby winner Galileo set a new European record price for a filly foal of 1.1 million gns.

So barely an eyebrow was raised as Lot 1,828 at the sale, a seven-year-old mare named Shouk, was knocked down to agent Charlie Gordon-Watson for 80,000gns.

Shouk, trained by her breeder Luca Cumani to win a Haydock maiden, is a daughter of the great broodmare sire Shirley Heights and, covered by Barathea, arrived at Tattersalls with a Grand Lodge yearling colt and Barathea filly foal to her name.

The yearling - named Grand Wizard - won as a two-year-old for William Jarvis while Saree, the Barathea filly, went on to gain black type in Canada.

Surprise win

Shouk produced a filly foal which recouped the mare's purchase cost when - sold via Timmy Hyde's Camas Park Stud - she was purchased for 125,000gns by agent Johnny McKeever at Tattersalls' 2003 October Sale.

Trained by Brian Meehan for Con Wilson, that filly was named Magical Romance and sprang a 40-1 surprise when winning the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes in 2004.

It was a timely victory as her yearling three-parts sister, by Barathea's sire Sadler's Wells, appeared from Camas Park at Tattersalls eight days later and - after bidding opened at 200,000gns - BBA Ireland agent Adrian Nicoll swiftly fought off Shadwell's Angus Gold to get the filly for 420,000gns.

Returning to Co Tipperary in the ownership of Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor along with John Magnier's wife Sue, she was named Alexandrova and went into training at Ballydoyle.

She failed by a short-head to win last season's Group One Fillies' Mile at Newmarket but in the words of John Magnier "achieved what she was bred to do" when winning this year's Oaks at Epsom in pulsating style.

Improving family

The decision to mate Shouk with Sadler's Wells was no great surprise. In The Wings, Subtle Power and Alberto Giacometti are all Group One winners by the record-breaking sire out of Shirley Heights mares. Meanwhile, Shirley Heights' son, Darshaan, is broodmare sire of High Chaparral, Islington, Yesterday, Quarter Moon, Greek Dance, Ebadiyla and Milan, all Group One winners for Sadler's Wells. There have also been many other successful crosses with the Mill Reef distaff line.

Shouk - like Milan - was bred by Luca and Sara Cumani at their Fittocks Stud at Cheveley near Newmarket. The Cumanis paid Ir105,000gns to breeder Dieter Hopemeier at Goffs' 1989 Cartier Million Sale for Shouk's mother Souk, who is out of a half-sister to the dam of the Aga Khan's French 1000 Guineas heroine and great broodmare, Dumka.

Souk has been a notable producer for Fittocks Stud, with her eight winners including last season's Goodwood Cup second, Golden Quest, and the Listed winner Puce, dam of both Lancashire Oaks heroine Pongee and Pukka. It is a family that keeps improving and there must be a few people wishing they were the ones willing to pay 80,000gns for Shouk at that 2001 December Sale.