Group glory for Mukhadram

Lightly-raced four-year-old colt Mukhadram continued his upward progression when winning the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown. Sent to the front from the stalls, he never saw another rival, gamely holding off the rally of last season's Derby second Main Sequence by half-a-length, with Teofilo's consistent son Miblish back in third.

Unraced as a juvenile, he won his first two starts as a three-year-old before an excellent G3 fourth at Royal Ascot. Making only his sixth start here, he holds G1-entries in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Eclipse Stakes.

Bred by Wardall Bloodstock and bought as a yearling by Hamdan Al Maktoum for 190,000Gns, he is out of the Timber Country mare Magic Tree, who has also produced this season's G3 Musidora third Woodland Aria (by Singspiel). Magic Tree is very well related being a half-sister to St Leger winner Mastery and Italian G1-winner Kirklees and a granddaughter of multiple G1-winning sprinter Cherokee Rose.

Mukhadram is one of 20 Stakes performers for his sire this year, alongside the G1-winners Dan Excel (who ran in Ireland as Dunboyne Express) and Australian Oaks heroine Maybe Discreet, and the Irish-bred Puissance de Lune, a multiple Group winner in Australia and currently favourite for the Melbourne Cup. Shamardal stands in 2013 for €50,000 Oct 1st SLF at Kildangan Stud alongside his G1-winning juvenile son Casamento, who is standing for the first time this season at a fee of €5,000.