There are few faster rising young stallions anywhere in the world than Kingman , and at the weekend he added another chapter to the success story when Schnell Meister became the first group/grade 1 winner from his third crop with a victory in Japan's NHK Mile Cup (G1).
The victory, which saw Schnell Meister deliver a furious late run from deep in the field, was achieved in a very rapid 1:31.6, just 0.2 seconds off the stakes record. This was just the fourth start for Schnell Meister, who won a newcomers race and an allowance contest in two starts at 2, and had taken second in the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (G2) on his only previous outing this term.
Schnell Meister's victory means that Kingman has already sired group or grade 1 winners in four different countries, and group and graded winners in seven. So far, there have been 15 stakes winners, five group or graded, in Kingman's first crop, 14, nine group or graded in his second, and six, three group or graded, in his third crop, now just 3. In addition to Schnell Meister, the most notable of these includes champion European older miler Persian King, successful in six group races, including the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, G1), Prix d'Ispahan (G1), and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1); Palace Pier, whose successes include the St. James's Palace Stakes (G1) and Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1); and Domestic Spending, who has captured the Hollywood Derby (G1T) and Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes (G1T).
While the measure of success that Kingman has been truly remarkable, there is no doubt that all the credentials for success were present when he retired to stud at Juddmonte Farms, Cheveley, Newmarket. Unbeaten in two start as a juvenile, including a win in the Betfred Mobile Solario Stakes (G3), Kingman opened his 3-year-old season with a 4 1/2-length victory over Night of Thunder (himself now a very successful young stallion) in the Aon Greenham Stakes (G3). Night of Thunder surprisingly reversed that defeat by a margin of a half-length in the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1), perhaps due to Kingman's formidable finishing burst having been deployed a little early. Kingman rebounded from that upset to complete his career with triumphs in the Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1); the St. James's Palace Stakes, by 2 1/4 lengths over Night of Thunder; the QIPCO Sussex Stakes (G1); and the Jacques le Marois.
Kingman's pedigree is no less impressive than his race record. He is by Green Desert's son, Invincible Spirit, himself an extremely successful sire, and responsible for another exceptional stallion in Australia's I Am Invincible. The dam of Kingman, Zamindar mare, Zenda, won the Gainsborough Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, G1), and is half sister to Kingman's stud companion Oasis Dream—a son of Invincible Spirit's sire, Green Desert—who was a champion at 2 and 3 in Europe, and another very good stallion.
Although bred by the Japanese entity, Northern Farm, Schnell Meister was foaled in Germany. He is out of Serienholde (by the In the Wings horse, Soldier Hollow), who was a top-class runner in her native country winning the Henkel-Preis der Diana (German Oaks, G1) and BMW Preis Dusseldorf. Serienholde's dam, the stakes-placed Saldenehre, was a half sister to Saldenschwinge (by In the Wings, so closely related to Serienholde), a multiple group winner, and a high-weighted older mare in Germany. Saldenehre is also half sister to three other black-type winners, including Saldentigerin, a group-winning and group 1-placed mare, whose daughter Salomina, was undefeated in four starts at 3, including the Henkel-Preis der Diana-Deutsches Stuten-Derby (G1). Through Salomina, the family has already made an impact in Japan, her daughter Salacia winning the Ireland Trophy Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2), and taking second in two grade 1s, and her son, Salios, capturing the Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) at 2, and running second to Contail in last year's Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) and Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1).
Schnell Meister's third dam, Salde, was also a stakes winner in Germany, and is dam of four stakes winners, including German champion, Saldenschwinge. Schnell Meister's seventh dam, Suleika, is also granddam of the Ever Ready Epsom Derby (G1) winner, Slip Anchor. She's also a granddaughter of Schwarzgold, winner of both the German Derby and Oaks, and regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest filly ever to race in that country. Another famous descendant of Schwarzgold, Stacelita won six group and grade 1 races in France and the U.S., earning titles as champion 3-year-old in France and champion turf female in the U.S., and is dam of the Frankel daughter, Soul Stirring, champion of her generation in Japan at both 2 and 3.
Schnell Meister is one of five stakes winners by Kingman out of a Sadler's Wells line mare, the others including group 3 winner Boomer, out of a mare by Singspiel, the grandsire of the dam of Schnell Meister. There is a more interesting pattern at work here, though. Kingman's sire, Invincible Spirit, is by Green Desert (Danzig), a grandson of Northern Dancer out of a mare by Kris, a son of Sharpen Up, and Schnell Meister's broodmare sire, Soldier Hollow, is by a grandson of Northern Dancer out of a mare by a son of Kris.
Variations of this inbreeding to this Northern Dancer/Sharpen Up cross have proved remarkably successful for Kingman and we can also note that Persian King is out of a mare by Dylan Thomas, whose dam is a Northern Dancer/Sharpen Up cross, through Danzig and through Diesis, a brother to Kris; group 2 winner Elizabeth Tower is out of a mare by Doyen, who is by Sadler's Wells out of a mare by Kris; group 3 winner Chachnak and stakes winner Twist 'n' Shake are out of mares by Danehill Dancer, a Danzig/Sharpen Up cross; and the 2021 Epsom Blue Riband Trial Stakes winner Wirko, is out of a mare by Mount Nelson, a Danzig/Sharpen Up cross.