Ghibellines highlights G1 Golden Slipper claims

Slightly disappointing in his three runs to date, the real Ghibellines (Shamardal) stepped up at Rosehill on March 22, becoming the 60th Stakes winner for his sire with a one-and-a-quarter length victory in the G2 Todman Stakes.

Won two years back by Lonhro’s Champion colt Pierro, who went on to win the G1 Golden Slipper two weeks later, Ghibellines settled at the tail of the field and in what was a very good ride by jockey Kerrin McEvoy, the Sheikh Mohammed-owned colt came through the middle of the field to defeat this season’s Magic Millions Two-year-old winner Unencumbered, with Cornrow, who had finished a last third in the G1 Blue Diamond behind Earthquake (Exceed And Excel), also finishing third here.

Bred by Darley, Ghibellines is third winner from the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Camarilla (Elusive Quality), a daughter of the G1 Queensland Derby winner Camarena. A half-sister to Exceed And Excel’s four-time G1 winner Guelph, it is also the family of fellow G1 winners Sepoy, Canny Lad and Canny Lass. Camarilla unfortunately passed away in late 2012, with her final foal being a yearling colt by Darley stallion Street Cry.

As the sire of 59 Stakes winners including G1 winners Lope De Vega, Dunboyne Express, Faint Perfume and Darley stallion Casamento, Shamardal stands at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €50,000, while Casamento stands at €5,000.