On October 16, triple Oaks winner Snowfall was supposed to be the story in the Qipco British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (ENG-G1), contested over about 10 furlongs at Ascot. Instead she was upstaged by Eshaada (from the second crop of the excellent sprinter Muhaarar, by Oasis Dream), who gutted it out over the similarly sired Ablaflora to claim her first victory in Group company and the first Group 1 win for her sire's progeny.
The mystery of where the daughter of a sprinter would get bottom enough to complete in top company over 10 furlongs is easily solved with a look at the distaff side of Eshaada's pedigree. Eshaada traces back to the excellent broodmare Allegretta in her tail-female line, but not through Allegretta's most famous daughter, Urban Sea. Instead, she descends through Allez Les Trois, a fine race mare and producer in her own right.
Sired by the French Classic winner and fine sire Riverman and foaled in Kentucky, Allez Les Trois did not win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1), or any other Grade/Group 1 event for that matter, but her own record was still quite respectable, though she took more after the German stoutness of her dam's pedigree than the miler speed of her sire. As a 3-year-old, she won the 1994 Prix de Flore (FR-G3) and Prix Charles Laffitte (FR-L) and placed in another listed race. At 4, she raced in the United States and ran third in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G3) before retiring to the broodmare ranks.
It would have been a rare thing indeed if Allez Les Trois had matched Urban Sea in the paddocks, but her own record can stand without apology. She struck gold with her second foal, Anabaa Blue (by Anabaa), winner of the 2001 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, FR-G1), and later produced two listed winners, Reunite (by Kingmambo) and Measured Tempo (by Sadler's Wells). She also produced Anja (by Indian Ridge), dam of 2015 Prix Miesque (FR-G3) winner Aboulie (by Exceed and Excel) and 2021 Newcastle Gold Cup Stakes (AUS-G3) winner Great House (by Galileo); Northern Melody (by Singspiel), dam of 2020 Hamburger Stutenmeile (GER-G3) winner Half Light (by Shamardal); and Violante (by Kingmambo), dam of 2019 Prix Messidor (FR-G3) winner Impulsif (by New Approach).
Allez Les Trois's best broodmare daughter is her first, Al Ishq (by Nureyev), whose son Tamayuz (by Nayef) won the 2008 Prix Jean Prat (FR-G1) and Prix Jacques Le Marois (FR-G1). Al Ishq also produced stakes-placed Thamarat (by Anabaa), dam of listed stakes winner Motamarris (by Le Havre) and second dam of 2020 Irish Derby (IRE-G1) winner Santiago and multiple Group 3 winner Tantheem (by Teofilo). In addition, Al Ishq is the dam of the winner Muhalawah (by Nayef), who produced Eshaada as her third foal. Muhalawah has since produced the unraced 2019 colt Moonis, a full brother to Eshaada, and a 2021 filly by Kingman.
It is a mark of Urban Sea's excellence that next to her, Allez Les Trois seems ordinary as a broodmare and producer, for as a review of her record has shown, she was nothing of the sort. It will be interesting to see if in future years the descendants of these two sisters meet up for a family reunion in the pedigrees of some of the world's finest racehorses.
The mystery of where the daughter of a sprinter would get bottom enough to complete in top company over 10 furlongs is easily solved with a look at the distaff side of Eshaada's pedigree. Eshaada traces back to the excellent broodmare Allegretta in her tail-female line, but not through Allegretta's most famous daughter, Urban Sea. Instead, she descends through Allez Les Trois, a fine race mare and producer in her own right.
Sired by the French Classic winner and fine sire Riverman and foaled in Kentucky, Allez Les Trois did not win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1), or any other Grade/Group 1 event for that matter, but her own record was still quite respectable, though she took more after the German stoutness of her dam's pedigree than the miler speed of her sire. As a 3-year-old, she won the 1994 Prix de Flore (FR-G3) and Prix Charles Laffitte (FR-L) and placed in another listed race. At 4, she raced in the United States and ran third in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G3) before retiring to the broodmare ranks.
It would have been a rare thing indeed if Allez Les Trois had matched Urban Sea in the paddocks, but her own record can stand without apology. She struck gold with her second foal, Anabaa Blue (by Anabaa), winner of the 2001 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, FR-G1), and later produced two listed winners, Reunite (by Kingmambo) and Measured Tempo (by Sadler's Wells). She also produced Anja (by Indian Ridge), dam of 2015 Prix Miesque (FR-G3) winner Aboulie (by Exceed and Excel) and 2021 Newcastle Gold Cup Stakes (AUS-G3) winner Great House (by Galileo); Northern Melody (by Singspiel), dam of 2020 Hamburger Stutenmeile (GER-G3) winner Half Light (by Shamardal); and Violante (by Kingmambo), dam of 2019 Prix Messidor (FR-G3) winner Impulsif (by New Approach).
Allez Les Trois's best broodmare daughter is her first, Al Ishq (by Nureyev), whose son Tamayuz (by Nayef) won the 2008 Prix Jean Prat (FR-G1) and Prix Jacques Le Marois (FR-G1). Al Ishq also produced stakes-placed Thamarat (by Anabaa), dam of listed stakes winner Motamarris (by Le Havre) and second dam of 2020 Irish Derby (IRE-G1) winner Santiago and multiple Group 3 winner Tantheem (by Teofilo). In addition, Al Ishq is the dam of the winner Muhalawah (by Nayef), who produced Eshaada as her third foal. Muhalawah has since produced the unraced 2019 colt Moonis, a full brother to Eshaada, and a 2021 filly by Kingman.
It is a mark of Urban Sea's excellence that next to her, Allez Les Trois seems ordinary as a broodmare and producer, for as a review of her record has shown, she was nothing of the sort. It will be interesting to see if in future years the descendants of these two sisters meet up for a family reunion in the pedigrees of some of the world's finest racehorses.
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