Saxon Warrior

For good reason, Deep Impact was considered the Japanese equivalent of Galileo. The 2005 Japanese Triple Crown winner landed his 11th straight sires’ championship in 2022, whereas Galileo achieved 12 championships. Their equally extraordinary sires, Sunday Silence and Sadler’s Wells, both notched up 14 sires’ championships. The combination of Deep Impact and Galileo resulted in seven Group/Graded winners, with its star representatives being the classic winners Saxon Warrior, Snowfall and Auguste Rodin. Saxon Warrior’s dam Maybe represents the exceptional Galileo-Danehill cross responsible for champion sire Frankel, as well as numerous other Gr.1 winners.

Unbeaten as a 2yo, Saxon Warrior landed the Gr.2 Beresford Stakes before his victory over Roaring Lion in the Gr.1 Racing Post Trophy. Saxon Warrior extended his winning sequence to four when he defeated the likes of Masar and Roaring Lion in the 2,000 Guineas. Although all his wins were gained over a mile, Saxon Warrior went on to feature in several top middle-distance races, notably finishing a close third in the Irish Derby and a neck second in both the Coral-Eclipse and the Irish Champion Stakes.

Deep Impact has enjoyed tremendous success with daughters of STORM CAT, with this partnership producing nine Gr.1 winners, including the Prix du Jockey-Club winner Study of Man and Japanese Derby winner Kizuna. He also sired the French classic winner Beauty Parlour from a mare by GIANT’S CAUSEWAY.

Saxon Warrior’s four winners from his first five runners out of STORM CAT mares include 116-rated King’s Gambit. This suggests that Saxon Warrior will shine with mares by GIANT’S CAUSEWAY, SHAMARDAL, FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND and LOPE DE VEGA. LOPE DE VEGA is closely inbred to MACHIAVELLIAN, broodmare sire of two Gr.1 winners by Deep Impact. Saxon Warrior’s first two starters out of LOPE DE VEGA mares are at least useful, including Gr.1-placed Impact Warrior, and his three runners out of a GIANT’S CAUSEWAY mares include Gr.3 2yo winner Moon Ray and Gr.1-placed Australian filly Aethelflaed. LOPE DE VEGA also sired the dam of Study of Man’s Gr.2 Prix Saint-Alary winner Birthe. Daughters of SCAT DADDY, CARAVAGGIO and NO NAY NEVER should be ideal for Saxon Warrior.

Deep Impact had Gr.1 winners out of several DANZIG line mares and he had a Gr.3 French winner with a dam by ANABAA. Saxon Warrior already has a Gr.2 winner with a 2nd dam by ANABAA. The GREEN DESERT branch merits serious consideration now that Saxon Warrior has sired the tough Victoria Road, winner of the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, from a mare by INVINCIBLE SPIRIT. This opens the door to daughters of KINGMAN, OASIS DREAM, CAPE CROSS, SHOWCASING and SEA THE STARS. Daughters of SEA THE STARS create 4x3 to Urban Sea.

Danehill and Sadler’s Wells are back in the fourth generation of Saxon Warrior’s progeny, so he has plenty of scope with both these dominant sire lines. Mares by the many successful stallion sons of DANEHILL create only 4x3 to Danehill and daughters of such as CHOISIR, MASTERCRAFTSMAN and ZOFFANY produce only 4x4. Mares by STARSPANGLEDBANNER are a likeable option. DANEHILL DANCER sired the Oaks winner Dancing Rain from Saxon Warrior’s family. DEEP IMPACT has Gr.1 winners out of daughters of FASTNET ROCK, REDOUTE’S CHOICE and ROCK OF GIBRALTAR, as well as a Gr.2 winner with a dam by DANSILI and a Gr.3 winner out of a DANEHILL DANCER mare. Saxon Warrior has Group performers with dams by DANEHILL DANCER and EXCEED AND EXCEL, and another with a 2nd dam by DANSILI.

Similarly, daughters of Sadler’s Wells’s noted stallion sons, such as MONTJEU, HIGH CHAPARRAL, BARATHEA and IN THE WINGS, create 4x3. Grandsons of Sadler’s Wells, such as CAMELOT, MOTIVATOR and AUTHORIZED, create 4x4.

The broodmares sires of Deep Impact’s Gr.1 winners include SADLER’S WELLS (the 2020 Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue) and two sons of Sadler’s Wells’s brother FAIRY KING. SADLER’S WELLS and his three-parts-brother NUREYEV jointly sired the second dams of 7 of Deep Impact’s Gr.1 scorers. The PIVOTAL branch of the Nureyev line offers speed and Saxon Warrior has already sired the Gr.2-winning Lumiere Rock from a mare by NUREYEV’s grandson GOLD AWAY and a 2023 2yo Listed winner from a mare by PEINTRE CELEBRE. Deep Impact’s top son Auguste Rodin has a 2nd dam by PIVOTAL and his Gr.1 Tenno Sho winner Justin Palace is out of a grand-daughter of THEATRICAL. Mares by SIYOUNI produce 4x4 to Danehill.

Deep Impact owes quite a lot of his success to mares from the MR PROSPECTOR line, including siring Gr.1 winners from daughters of LYCIUS (2), MACHIAVELLIAN (2), KING KAMEHAMEHA (2), EL CONDOR PASA, ELUSIVE QUALITY, SMARTY JONES (2) and UNBRIDLED’S SONG (2), including the Triple Crown winner Contrail). Saxon Warrior’s Gr.2 winner Borna has a dam by KING’S BEST. His other options include daughters of DUBAWI, RAVEN’S PASS, ZAMINDAR, IFFRAAJ, KING’S BEST, NAYEF, STREET CRY, MEDICEAN and DUTCH ART.

The black-type winners by Deep Impact’s older stallion sons include several inbred 4x4 to HALO and others are inbred 3x3 or 3x4 to Halo’s son SUNDAY SILENCE.