Harry Angel

Pedigree notes

Harry Angel is a brilliant sprinter, the archetype of the ideal Australian stallion prospect, very much in the mould of quality speed horses such as the mighty Star Kingdom whose extremely high Timeform rating of 131 was lower than Harry Angel’s spectacular 133.

Harry Angel was a front-running sprinter with a very high cruising speed who could lead or trail a hot pace but then was able to unleash an explosive turn of foot to finish off. This is a formula for stallion success, particularly in Australia following in the tradition of sires such as Star Kingdom, Biscay, Bletchingly, Danehill, Redoute’s Choice, Snitzel and Exceed And Excel.

Harry Angel has fully delivered on this promise with 5% SW/R from over 240 runners in both hemispheres. He was the leading Australian first-season sire of Stakes winners last season (eq) and is currently the second-leading sire of Stakes winners and in the top two, three or four in all other categories among second-crop sires.

Breeders and owners like what they see, he served his best and biggest book in his fourth season in 2022, then another book of over 100 at nearly double the fee with commensurately high mare quality in 2023, always a great sign.

G1 Statistics

Harry Angel’s Australian G1 winner Tom Kitten is out of a Street Cry mare. Harry Angel’s sire Dark Angel has left 16 G1 winners to date with three of those out of Mr Prospector line mares. The rest are split mainly between Danzig/Danehill and Northern Dancer/Storm Cat/Shamardal lines.

Best Nicks

Harry Angel is off to a flying start as a sire of Stakes Winners. His 12 SW to date are out of mares by Exceed And Excel, Galileo, Street Cry, New Approach, Red Ransom, Showcasing, Oasis Dream, Bernardini, Dansili, Encosta De Lago, Hussonet and Iffraaj. This is a good spread of mares by the major Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector sirelines, similar to his own sire’s pattern.

Inbreeding / Linebreeding options

The best candidates for inbreeding to Harry Angel are Machiavellian and Try My Best, his broodmare sire and tail male ancestor respectively. Machiavellian’s third dam is a half-sister to Natalma who is the dam of Northern Dancer and third dam of Danehill. Try My best, sire of Waajib who established this emerging sireline, is the sire of Last Tycoon whose dam is Sex Appeal, a daughter of Best In Show.

The Last Tycoon sire line is thriving in Australia via Written Tycoon, offering opportunities to inbreed to the full brothers Try My Best and Last Tycoon. This cross is already responsible for G1 winners Alligator Blood, Startantes and Marsha (by Dark Angel out of a Marju mare). This pattern has already appeared in Harry Angel’s Australian G1 winner TOM KITTEN who who is inbred to Machiavellian and also descends from Best In Show who is his 6th dam.

However, the horse that ties Machiavellian and Try My Best together is Redoute’s Choice who is by Danehill, a sire from the same family as Machiavellian and who traces directly to Best In Show as his fourth dam.

The Redoute’s Choice/Last Tycoon cross, featuring inbreeding to Best In Show has been the champion sire’s most successful, with the phenomenal statistics of 36 runners, 10 Stakes Winners (27.77% SW/R) including 3 G1 winners (30% G1W/SW). This all indicates strongly that mares by Redoute’s Choice and sons, or mares by Written Tycoon and sons look good choices for Harry Angel. The Redoute’s Choice option also brings in the Danehill/Danzig sire line which has been so successful when crossed with Dark Angel and Harry Angel.

Strategy One

The Mr Prospector line has crossed well with both Harry Angel and Dark Angel generally so mares by  Machiavellian, Street Boss, Dubawi, Pride Of Dubai, Elusive Quality, Sepoy, Swiss Ace or Hallowed Crown look like favourable options.

Strategy Two

Mares from the Green Desert and Danehill branches of the Danzig line have crossed well with Harry Angel and his sire Dark Angel. Mares by I Am Invincible, Hellbent, Redoute’s Choice, Exceed And Excel and Choisir (or their sons) look great candidates to produce stakes winners by Harry Angel.

Strategy Three

The Giant’s Causeway line, particularly via Shamardal has crossed well with Harry Angel’s sire Dark Angel. Mares by Shamardal, Lope De Vega or Belardo would replicate this strong nick. Daughters of Puissance De Lune would introduce both Shamardal and Mr Prospector.