BEAT HOLLOW ON THE CUSP OF GREATNESS
Article taken from The Irish Field, Sire Reviews by Dr Sieglinde McGee
Dancing Brave was one of the greatest horses of all time. He was a good 2000 Guineas winner but what contributed to his brilliance was the speed he showed in the final quarter mile of a middle-distance race. The burst that saw him come from last to almost win the Derby in 1986 and the one that saw him sweep past a vintage Arc field as if they were standing still was something to behold. There has not been a horse since that could match his brilliance.
His early years at stud did not produce the sort of glittering results for which we all hoped but 1993 was a great year for him. It was then that his son Commander In Chief became a dual Derby hero; that White Muzzle was an Arc-placed classic winner and it was the year in which Wemyss Bight won the Irish Oaks.
One would have expected that daughters of Dancing Brave (by Lyphard) would produce mile and a half horses but instead it appears that it is some of his brilliant speed that they have been passing on to their progeny rather than his stamina.
The results have included horses that could be considered as just about the fastest sons ever of Sadler's Wells and Green Desert, for example.
The latter horse is sprint champion and successful young stallion OASIS DREAM. His dam Hope was unraced but her progeny also include Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Zenda (ZAMINDAR).
Competition for the title of fastest son of Sadler's Wells is close and it is a matter of opinion as to whether the title should go to Barathea, Refuse To Bend or BEAT HOLLOW.
The first pair are out of very speedy mares but BEAT HOLLOW is out of Irish Oaks heroine Wemyss Bight and yet he appeared to lack a little on stamina when third behind Sinndar and Sakhee in the Derby. Maybe inexperience was also a factor; it was only his third start - but it was from a mile to 10 furlongs that he became a star.
His first Group 1 success came in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp just two weeks after Epsom. This was his final outing of the year but he stayed in training, joined the all-conquering Bobby Frankel team in America and became a triple Grade 1 winner that season.
You have to be quick to win major races over eight and nine furlongs on firm ground in America.
BEAT HOLLOW was only beaten three-quarters of a length when third behind the ill-fated classic winner Landseer in the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile Stakes on his penultimate start. Before that he had won the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes over nine furlongs at Chuchill Downs and both the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park and Grade 1 Arlington Million in Chicago. Those two races are over 10 furlongs.
He had also been runner-up in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar and Grade 2 Explosive Bid Handicap at Fair Grounds, both over nine furlongs on firm ground.
When I first saw BEAT HOLLOW, hours after he had arrived at Banstead Manor Stud for his new stallion career, I was struck by how he is so obviously a son of Sadler's Wells.
He has sired blacktype winners from the time his first two year-olds were in action and last year he achieved that major landmark of getting a first Group 1 scorer.
His daughter Proportional was a most impressive winner of the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in October and it will be a tremendous disappointment if she does not win at least one classic this year. At this stage, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane would appear to be hers for the taking.
BEAT HOLLOW is now one of a growing and lengthy list of Sadler's Wells stallions who have sired a winner at the highest level. He is a quadruple Group/Grade 1 winner, is the product of classic stars and has one of the true greats as his broodmare sire.
With credentials like these, there is every reason to hope that Proportional is just the first of a list of Group 1 stars for him.
Date: 21 March 2009