Alchimist had all the ingredients

GERMAN thoroughbred breeding has been massively influential in Europe, while South Africa has now had two champion sires that originate from German bloodlines, the German-bred Silvano and his phenomenal record-setting son Vercingetorix.

- DAVID THISELTON

Silvano

Silvano and Vercingetorix were and are respectively based at German breeder Andreas Jacob's Maine Chance Farms, who also stand the German-bred Querari and did stand the German-bred Quasillo.

When researching where the class of German bloodlines originates from a certain stallion keeps on cropping up and it is amazing this horse, a German Derby winner called Alchimist, is no more than a footnote in thoroughbred history.

The Prix de l'Arc de Triompe is generally regarded as the pinnacle turf flat race in the world and it will be a rare occasion that Alchimist does not appear in the pedigree of the winner, the reason being he appears twice in the pedigree of Urban Sea, who is dam of Galileo, the most successful sire in thoroughbred history. Galileo is the only sire in history to sire over 100 Gr 1 winners.

Urban Sea is one of the greatest broodmares in thoroughbred history as she also produced Sea The Stars, who is regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time having won the 2000 Guineas, the Eclipse, the Derby, the Juddmonte International, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc in the same year. His progeny have won classic races including the Derby, Irish Derby, and the Oaks.

Urban Sea's third dam is by Alchimist's German Derby-winning son Birkahn.

Urban Sea's damsire is Lombard, whose sire Agio is out of an Alchimist mare.

Last year's Arc winner Bluestocking was the first Arc winner to have no copies of Alchimist in her since 2015 winner Golden Horn.