As a Champion European 2YO by Shamardal, that did not win beyond 1400m, we might have expected Darley shuttler Pinatubo (IRE) to be a sharp juvenile sire, but that has not been the case in the Northern Hemisphere.
He sired his first Group winner in France on Sunday with progressive staying filly Qilin Queen rebounding out of an unsuccessful run in the Group I Epsom Oaks to win the Group II Prix de Malleret (2400m) at Longchamp.
Trained by Ed Walker and ridden by Kieran Shoemark, she stuck to her guns all the way to the line to win by a neck taking her overall record to three wins and three placings from seven starts.
“We went to Epsom with big hopes, but were so disappointed and felt it was the soft ground,” said Ed Walker.
“We knew it would be quick here and she stays well, so we were confident she would stay the mile and a half. She’s in the Yorkshire Oaks, so we’ll try and get the Group One now.”
Purchased for 280,000 guineas from the Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale by SackvilleDonald, Qilin Queen runs for TBT Racing and is a half-sister to imported Australian stakes-winner Monbaher (IRE).
She is the best of five winners from Seagull, a winning half-sister by Sea the Stars to Group I winner Nightime, the dam of 2020 European horse of the Year Ghaiyyath and Group I winner Zhukova.
Qilin Queen is now the best of three stakes-winners for Pinatubo, whose oldest Euro progeny are three year-olds with his first Aussie bred progeny to race here next season.
Pinatubo has sired 41 winners from 95 starters from his first two NH crops with three 2YO winners this year so far including stakes-placed colt Dickensian, who was second in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot
Pinatubo is slated to return to Darley NSW at a fee of $38,500.
