The Group 1 English Derby was run and won on June 25 and Romeo Magico got a dream run at the first turn and went on to down KIldare and Micky's Barrett. For breeding enthusiasts, the Derby line-up is an interesting mix of pedigree design, but with a huge emphasis on intense in-breeding in a majority of the runners.

1 ROMEO MAGICO

(Magical Bale-Fabulous Artist by Romeo Recruit)

The dam was a high class race bitch on the track. For any breeding enthusiast, a look at the pedigree of Romeo Magico is well worth the trouble. His dam Fabulous Artist is in-bred 2x2 to the half sisters Fabulous March and Fabulous Azure, both of them out of Fast Marsh (Roanokee-March Queen). But, Zero Ten, the grandsire of the Derby winner has as his second dam Airport Express who is a litter sister to Fast March.

Semen is available in Australia for Magical Bale a highly promising young stud dog in Ireland and England as witnessed by his Derby winning son.

2 KILDARE

(Droopys Sydney-Palermo by Taylors Sky)

The dam Palermo has been described to me as "a rocket" who qualified at Newbridge in sensational time but was injured at her first race start and retired. Putting her to Droopys Sydney was inspired. That's because it brought in a 2x2 of identically bred Droopys Laramie (dam of Droopys Sydney) and Taylors Sky (damsire of the Derby runner-up). They are both by Westmead Hawk and both out of a daughter of Droopys Kewell. Droopys Laramie and Taylors Sky are both in-bred to the famous half brothers Sonic Flight and Larkhill Jo. But, the intensity of this mating is even stronger. Westmead Hawk traces along his tail female line to Knockeeven Joy who is also the 5th dam of Kildare.

3 MICKEYS BARRETT

(Out Of Range-The Other Tessa by Newinn Wonder)

By the Aussie star Out Of Range who is really starting to get results in Oz from limited numbers. He's Fernando Bale-Nicki Fields so why wouldn't he. The Derby 3rd placegetter's dam, The Other Tessa, was unraced but she is a granddaughter of the Oaks winner Skywalker Queen and this is the direct damline of champion race dog and sire Premier Fantasy. Second dam, The Other Niamh, is 3x3 to Larkhill Jo and Mickeys Barrett had this reinforced with the 4x4 double of Droopys Kewell in his own pedigree. Aussie star Dundee Ospey was in-bred to Droopys Kewell in this manner.

4 PRICELESS JET

(Droopys Jet-Ravenna by Fernando Bale)

The Aussie-bred dam was taken back to Ireland by Thomas O'Donovan and won a feature 600m during her race career and was a very, very fast bitch. Sweet About Me, 3rd dam of Priceless Jet, has an intensely in-bred pedigree. Priceless Jet carries the hugely proven cross of Spiral Nikita with his sister Minnies Surprise, coming into this pedigree 4x5 but placed to impact. YThis is the cross found in Milldean Panther.

This litter has already produced two G1 performers in 2021.

5 HELLO HAMMOND

(Jaytee Jet-Jaytee Pearl by Zero Ten)

The dam was a very fast Shelbourne Park performer who reeled off a 28.54 around that track during her career on the track. This pedigree again introduces a reinforcement of Spiral Nikita and his own damline via Minnies Chalice (5th dam of Hello Hammond). The Aussie influence in this pedigree is huge and includes Brett Lee, Big Daddy Cool, Honcho Classic.

6 SAVANA BEAU

(Clonbrien Hero-Slippery Thelma by Brett Lee)

The dam was a Puppy Oaks semi-finalist, just missing out on the final, and won heats of the Irish Oaks. Yet another in-bred to Spiral Nikita and his same damline via Pony Nikita (4th dam of Savana Beau's sire).

What is interesting about the Derby finalists is that three of the six have Razldazl Billy in their pedigree and five of the six have Spiral Nikita. Three have Premier Fantasy or his damline and two carry Zero Ten close up.