No Nay Never
The much-missed Scat Daddy sired a string of important European 2yo winners and the first of them – the 2013 Norfolk S. and Prix Morny winner No Nay Never – has stepped into his shoes. No Nay Never proved the outstanding 2yo sire of 2022, with a magnificent team of six Group winners, headed by Gr.1 scorers Little Big Bear and Blackbeard. He proved similarly dominant in 2023, with an unequalled total of eight 2yo BTWs, featuring five Group winners, and he again ranks among the top sires of 2yos in 2024.
No Nay Never owes much of his early success to mares from the DANZIG line. It was the GREEN DESERT branch which played a major part in his 2022 success. His dual Gr.1 winner Blackbeard is out of a mare by BORN TO SEA, a son of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT, who in turn sired the dam of Gr.2 winner Trillium. Another Gr.2 winner, Aesop’s Fable, has a dam by another son of GREEN DESERT. No Nay Never has a 7f Gr.3 winner out of a mare by SEA THE STARS. No Nay Never has an impressive 20% BTWs from 20 foals out of mares by OASIS DREAM, including Gr.2 2yo winners Array and Les Pavots. OASIS DREAM is also the broodmare sire of Sioux Nation, a Gr.1-winning 2yo by Scat Daddy.
His multiple Gr.1-winning filly Alcohol Free is out of a grand-daughter of Danzig, by HARD SPUN. He is also working very well with mares by sons of DANEHILL, including EXCEED AND EXCEL (Gr.1 winners Ten Sovereigns and Madame Pommery), ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (Gr.2 scorer Land Force), FASTNET ROCK (Gr.2 winner Truly Enchanting, Gr.2 NZ winner Need I Say More and Gr.1-placed Pearls And Rubies), HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (2yo LWs Mountain Bear and Al Qudra), KODIAC (2yo LW The Fixer) and DANSILI (the speedy Cherry Blossom and also sired the 2nd dam of Gr.1 2yo winner Meditate).
Although No Nay Never is inbred 3x4 to Mr Prospector, he is thriving with mares with Mr Prospector blood. He owes four of his Gr.2 winners to mares from this line, including Zain Claudette (out of a SPEIGHTSTOWN mare) and the siblings Arizona and Nay Lady Nay (out of a mare by ENGLISH CHANNEL, a son of SMART STRIKE). His Gr.1 winners Little Big Bear and Whistlejacket have a 2nd dam by MISWAKI.
Caravaggio, another son of Scat Daddy, sired his first Gr.1 winner from a PIVOTAL mare and No Nay Never has LWs out of daughters of PIVOTAL and PEINTRE CELEBRE. NUREYEV’s son THEATRICAL sired the 2nd dam of his Gr.1 winner Ten Sovereigns, while PIVOTAL filled the same position in the pedigree of Blackbeard. The 2nd dam of Gr.2 winner Aesop’s Fables is by NUREYEV’s son DANCING DISSIDENT. Mares by SIYOUNI, with his dam by DANEHILL, could be especially suitable.
Justify, another son of Scat Daddy, is also working well with NUREYEV, with Nureyev’s grandson PIVOTAL siring the dam of Gr.2 2yo winner Statuette and the 2nd dam of Gr.1 winner RAMATUELLE. The top-class City of Troy’s 2nd dam is by THEATRICAL.
No Nay Never’s Gr.2-winners Shadn and Visualisation have dams by SADLER’S WELLS, who also sired the dam of Justify’s Gr.1-winning daughter Opera Singer. No Nay Never also has Henry Adams and Midnight Mile, both Gr.3 winners at two, and three 2yo Listed winners among his runners out of GALILEO mares.
Justify, another son of Scat Daddy, has numerous Group performers out of GALILEO mares, including the top-class City of Troy. No Nay Never’s first four runners out of FRANKEL mares include 3 winners, headed by 2yo LW Apollo Fountain. TEOFILO, another stallion bred on the Galileo/Danehill cross, is the broodmare sire of one of Caravaggio’s best sons.
Mares by HIGH CHAPARRAL have produced three Group winners (12%) to No Nay Never, including the Gr.2 2yo winner Matrika, and it was a HIGH CHAPARRAL mare which produced No Nay Never’s 2,200,000gns yearling. EL PRADO sired the dam of 2023 Gr.2 winner Lake Forest.
Gr.1-winning brothers Little Big Bear and Whistlejacket are among only four foals out of BERING mares.
No Nay Never should suit mares by FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND, SHAMARDAL, LOPE DE VEGA and BLUE POINT.
The SHIRLEY HEIGHTS male line has quickly made its mark with No Nay Never. The smart siblings Wichita and Bubbling have a dam by DASHING BLADE, while the Group winning 2yos Meditate and Midnight Mile respectively have a dam by DALAKHANI and a 2nd dam by DARSHAAN.
Expect to see No Nay Never make his mark with mares from the quick-maturing ROYAL APPLAUSE line.
His very useful sprinter Royal Commando has a dam by ACCLAMATION, while ROYAL APPLAUSE sired the 2nd dam of Gr.2 winner Trillium. Daughters of DARK ANGEL, MEHMAS and EQUIANO would also suit.
No Nay Never has a Gr.3 winner out of an INDIAN RIDGE mare and his Group winners Wichita, Bubbling, Land Force and Love Locket all have 2nd dams by INDIAN RIDGE.