New England Stud's Peter Stanley has paid tribute to the brilliant Superstar Leo, a high-class race filly and influential producer who has died at Lael Farm in West Grove, Pa.
Bred by Lester Piggott and Tony Hirschfield, Superstar Leo initially raced for her breeders before selling to Roy and Gretchen Jackson of Lael Stable.
She was trained by Piggott's son-in-law William Haggas to win five times at 2, including the 2000 Norfolk Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot and Flying Childers Stakes (G2) at Doncaster that September. She also landed the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint in between her two group race successes.
The daughter of College Chapel and the Hascombe and Valiant-bred Council Rock was also placed at the highest level when second in the Prix de l'Abbaye (G1) at ParisLongchamp.
Superstar Leo was retired to Stanley's New England Stud after her 3-year-old season.
He said June 26: "(Superstar Leo) was as special as they came and left an amazing dynasty. She has been a very special part of our lives and to have had three generations of the family on the stud, all group winners, is amazing."
On his memories of the special mare, he added: "She was very strong and hated anyone playing with her backend, so she'd always kick out at that, but she was very loving and kind if you didn't go near her backend!
"After we retired her (from stud duties) the Jacksons said would I mind if they took her to America and live out retirement there. She was flown to America and lived out with the dam of Barbaro, who won the Kentucky Derby."
Roy Jackson told BloodHorse that Superstar Leo and her descendants brought him and his wife a lot of joy.
"We were very lucky to purchase (Superstar Leo) after my wife Gretchen happened to see her run," Jackson said. "We brought her over from England after she was through having foals, to live out her life at our place. She was in a field with Barbaro's dam La Ville Rouge and Belle Cherie, a filly who won a lot of races for us."
From 15 foals, Superstar Leo has produced 14 runners and 11 winners. The best of them was the late Pivotal-sired Enticing, a dual group 3 winner, and herself the dam of triple Prix de la Foret (G1) winner One Master.
"I believe One Master is the only horse to have won the same grade 1 three years in a row on the Arc undercard," Roy Jackson said. "We are fortunate to have enjoyed the whole family and to have been part of it with trainer William Haggas and Peter Stanley, who has boarded the whole family after they raced."
Another classy performer out of Superstar Leo is listed winner and 2012 Jersey Stakes (G3) runner-up Sentaril, by Danehill Dancer, while another Pivotal daughter in Map of Heaven is the second dam of black type-winning sprinter Rogue Lightning.
Stanley said: "She bred Enticing, who was a stakes winner at 2, 3, and 4, and then Enticing produced One Master who won the Foret at 4, 5, and 6. It's quite special and it's been a great dynasty; we've still got some of the family here too.
"There's Arousing, a Kodiac half sister to One Master who has a lovely No Nay Never filly. One Master has a particularly special Dubawi filly foal and is in foal to Frankel carrying a colt. Her Dubawi colt is with William Haggas."
