The Glenview Stallion Shirocco enjoyed a double this weekend to further enhance his credentials.
Shirocco is a German bred son of Monsun who began his career with Andrea Shutz as a three-year-old before moving to Andre Fabre as a four and five-year-old. His dam So Sedulous wontwo races for Geoff Wragg and was by The Minstrel and was also the dam of Subiaco (Group 2 winner) and stakes winners Satchmo, Storm Trooper and September Storm.
As a racehorse Shiroccos finest moment came when winning the 2005 Breeders Cup Turf although he also won the Deutches Derby in 2004. In 2005 he was named the German Horse Of The Year.
In 2006 Shirocco was purchased by Darley Stud and retired to Dalham Stud where he spent seven seasons and sired Irish St Leger winner Brown Panther along with Windstoss (Group 1 Winner) and Arrigo, Grand Vent, Wild Coco amongst others.
Before the start of the 2014 breeding season Shirocco was sold to Glenview Stud in Cork to stand as a National Hunt sire and by 2016 was responsible for the Champion Hurdle winning mare Annie Power.
Another top class performer from his earlier days is Minella Rocco who won a point to point for John Nallen at Horse and Jockey before topping the first ever Cheltenham Festival Sale and a few years later he went on to finish second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup behind Native River.
More recently we are seeing his Irish crops come to the fore and the results are consistently of a high quality.
Glen Rocco won at Ballindenisk in 2016 and went on to become a 137 rated chaser.
Silver Hallmark won a Tattersalls maiden for Pat Doyle in 2018 and went to Fergal O’Brien where he beat McFabulous to win a maiden hurdle at Chepstow. (He cost £115,000 following his success).
Queens Brook won a Dromahane maiden for Aidan Fitzgerald last November and almost become the first horse win a four-year-old maiden and Grade 1 Cheltenham festival race in the same season when third in the Champion bumper this year behind Ferny Hollow.
This bumper is already producing multiple winners including this exciting mare who won her maiden hurdle just a few weeks ago for Gordon Elliott and owner Noel Moran. She was a £160,000 purchase following her point to point success.
Es Perfecto won a maiden last Autumn for Colm Murphy at Tattersalls and went on to win a Warwick maiden hurdle at the start of October for Alan King. King and Highflyer paid £170,000 for his following his points success.
Already this season Shirocco has been responsible for American Legacy who looked smart for Mick Goff taking the four-year-old maiden at Oldcastle on the opening weekend while Andrew Latta produced Hes Rockin to win the five year-old maiden at Moira in the middle of October also to win in good style and he looks a fine chasing type.
On Sunday last Golden Roc scored for Paul Cashman at Tinahely and is from the family of Ballydub and Raysrock while at Umma House John Neilan saddled a very smart debutante in Heather Rocco who won the fourteen runner five and six-year-old maiden impressively.
He is out of a Presenting mare and from the family of Blazing Liss, Liss De Paor and many other winners.
Shirocco has a plentiful supply of ammunition entering the coming seasons and the signs are strong that there could be some further superstars to emerge from point to points on behalf of this Glenview-based sire.
