Rosallion, the three-time Group 1 winner trained by Richard Hannon and owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, has been retired to stand at stud with Darley. Hannon described him as "a horse of a lifetime" and "the best-looking horse I've ever worked with", high praise from a trainer who has handled many top-class performers. With his retirement comes the opportunity to examine the exceptional bloodlines that produced this champion miler.

Racing Career Highlights

Rosallion's career included victories in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere as a two-year-old in 2023, followed by the Irish Two Thousand Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2024. His victory at Royal Ascot saw him defeat Henry Longfellow and Notable Speech, winners of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and English Two Thousand Guineas respectively. He retired with five wins from 13 starts and total earnings of £1,638,294.

Sire Line: Blue Point and the Giant's Causeway Heritage

Rosallion is by Blue Point, a son of Shamardal who won the King's Stand Stakes twice and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Blue Point was one of the best British-trained two-year-olds of 2016 when he won the Gimcrack Stakes, and his success as a sprinter has translated impressively to the breeding shed.

Blue Point is from the first crop to produce a Group 1 winner, with Rosallion leading the way as a champion miler. This demonstrates the stallion's versatility in getting high-class performers over different distances, as Blue Point himself was primarily a sprinter while Rosallion excelled at a mile.

 

Shamardal: A Foundation Sire

Blue Point's sire Shamardal was the 2004 European Champion Two-Year-Old and won four Group 1 races including the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey Club, St James's Palace Stakes, and Dewhurst Stakes. He was sired by Giant's Causeway, the 2000 European Horse of the Year, out of the mare Helsinki.

Giant's Causeway won five Group 1 races as a three-year-old in 2000, including the St James's Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Juddmonte International Stakes, and Irish Champion Stakes. This powerful sire line traces back through Storm Cat, creating a lineage renowned for speed, class, and competitiveness.

The Giant's Causeway sire line has proven exceptionally influential. At Royal Ascot 2024, the Giant's Causeway sire line was particularly successful through Shamardal and his son Blue Point, with Rosallion's victory in the St James's Palace Stakes being a highlight of the meeting.

Dam Line: The Remarkable Reem Three Family

Rosallion's dam is Rosaline, an unraced daughter of New Approach. While Rosaline never saw a racecourse, her pedigree is exceptional. New Approach was bred from the second crop of 2002 Derby winner Galileo out of Irish Champion Stakes winner Park Express. New Approach was undefeated in five races as a two-year-old and won the Epsom Derby, Irish Champion Stakes, and Champion Stakes at three, being rated the joint-best racehorse in the world in 2008.

The Galileo Connection

Galileo was one of the most influential stallions in thoroughbred history, winning the Derby, Irish Derby, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He became the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland multiple times and set the record for siring the most Group 1 winners in thoroughbred history with over 100. Through New Approach, Rosallion carries this extraordinary heritage on his dam side.

 

The Prolific Reem Three

Rosallion's second dam is Reem Three by Mark Of Esteem, who won three races and produced 10 winners. This mare has become one of the most successful broodmares in modern racing. Reem Three's family has been exceptionally successful at Royal Ascot, with three generations winning at the meeting in Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's colors.

Reem Three is the dam of Triple Time, winner of the Queen Anne Stakes, and Ajman Princess, winner of the Prix Jean Romanet. Ajman Princess is also the dam of Inisherin, who won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Rosaline is also a full-sister to Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Ostilio and a half-sister to Bengough Stakes winner Cape Byron.

With Rosallion and Inisherin both winning at Royal Ascot 2024, they represented the third generation of Royal Ascot winners from the Reem Three family. This demonstrates the consistency and quality of this female line.

The Cross: Speed Meets Stamina

Rosallion's pedigree represents a fascinating blend of influences. On his sire's side, he carries the speed and precocity of the Giant's Causeway line through Shamardal and Blue Point. His dam's side brings the stamina and class of Galileo through New Approach, combined with the proven quality of the Reem Three female family.

This combination of speed and stamina has produced a miler of exceptional quality. Rosallion was described as brilliant from an early age, and his four-length victory in the Pat Eddery Stakes was rated Timeform's highest-rated juvenile race of 2023. His victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere saw him break the juvenile course record at Longchamp.

Breeding Potential

As Rosallion begins his stud career, several factors suggest he could be a significant success:

Proven Male Line: Blue Point has already sired multiple Group 1 winners in his early crops including Kind Of Blue and Rosallion himself, establishing the line's ability to produce top-class horses.

Elite Female Family: The Reem Three family has consistently produced high-class performers across multiple generations, suggesting Rosallion's offspring will benefit from this proven maternal heritage.

Versatility: While bred on a cross designed for miling, Rosallion showed enough speed to break track records at two and enough stamina to excel in strongly-run Group 1 races. This versatility should allow him to work with a variety of mare types.

Physical Quality: Hannon's description of Rosallion as "the best-looking horse I've ever worked with" and "unbelievably good-looking" suggests he has the conformation to pass on quality to his offspring.

Precocity: His Group 1 victory at two demonstrates precocity that breeders highly value, while his continued improvement at three and competitive efforts at four show he possessed both speed and durability.

Rosallion joins the Darley stallion roster following his retirement, with his fee set to be £40,000. His pedigree combines some of the most influential bloodlines in modern thoroughbred breeding: the speed and toughness of Giant's Causeway through Shamardal and Blue Point on the male line, and the class and stamina of Galileo through New Approach on the female side, all enhanced by the remarkable productivity of the Reem Three family.

With a race record that includes three Group 1 victories and narrow defeats in four more Group 1 races, Rosallion enters his stallion career with the credentials and pedigree to make a significant impact on the breed. Time will tell whether he can match the success of his sire Blue Point or his grandsire Shamardal, but his bloodlines and race record provide every reason for optimism about his future at stud.