Street Cry is wizard of Oz

By Sid Fernando

In the comments section of the post below this one, a reader and I discuss the nuances of shuttle sires—including the general trend that most shuttle sires are dominant in one hemisphere or the other, but not in both. Danehill, obviously, was an exception to this observation; he made his mark in Australia for Arrowfield/Coolmore and then translated that success to Europe, too, and Coolmore’s Montjeu has also made marks in two hemispheres. Others, like La Quebrada’s Southern Halo (SH), Abolengo’s Candy Stripes (SH), Taylor Made’s Unbridled’s Song (NH), and Coolmore’s Galileo (NH), to name four prominent sires, have not replicated success from one hemisphere to the other. The latest sire who appears to have the goods to perform in both hemispeheres is Darley’s Street Cry, who was represented over the weekend by his headliner Zenyatta, such a stylish winner of the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational at Santa Anita. At present, if you didn’t know, he’s also the leading sire in Australia by progeny earnings.

According to stallions.com.au, Street Cry’s progeny earnings in Australia through March 11, 2009, are AUS$6,304,547, ahead of Coolmore’s Encosta de Lago at AUS$5,665,782 and Arrowfield’s Redoubt’s Redoute’s Choice at AUS$4,810,556. Street Cry stood the 2009 season in Australia for a fee of AUS$110,000 to AUS$220,000 for Encosta de Lago and AUS$198,000 for Redoubt’s Redoute’s Choice.

One of the reasons for Street Cry’s success in Australia is his versatility as a sire: His offspring win on dirt, all weather, AND turf—the primary racing surface in Oz—and over all distances. Of course, he has a knack for getting high-class runners, period, and all four of his 2009/2010 SWs in Australia are Group winners, including leading earner Shocking, who won 2-mile Melbourne Cup.

On pedigree, Street Cry is an excellent outcross for the Danehill/Danzig-laden Australian environment, too, and Shocking’s pedigree is an illustration of what’s possible. Street Cry is by the Mr. Prospector horse Machiavellian from Helen Street, by Troy, and his pedigree is devoid of Northern Dancer. However, he does have Northern Dancer’s dam, Natalma, in his pedigree as Machiavellian’s 3rd dam. Natalma also was Danehill’s 3rd dam, and Danehill is actually inbred 3×3 to Natalma as his grandsire was Northern Dancer. Consequently, breeding Danehill mares to Street Cry, like the dam of Shocking, capitalizes on Mr. Prospector/Danzig, plus it gives another reinforcement to Natalma, 5x5x5.

Street Cry’s European female family—his dam won the Irish Oaks—also has been successful in Australia through Darley’s first-crop Giant’s Causeway sire Shamardal. The latter’s dam is a full sister to Street Cry, and Shamardal’s first Australian runners include the G1 VRC Oaks winner Faint Perfume. It’s a given that Street Cry will get ample oppportunity with Giant’s Causeway and Storm Cat-line mares.

In the meantime, Street Cry, the sire of 10 G1 winners, continues to do no wrong. Click here to access his stats from the Darley website.

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