Duke Of Marmalade

Duke Of Marmalade made his way up the ranks with respectable and classy performances in some of Europe's top races, winner of one of his three starts as a juvenile, At three Duke Of Marmalade raced almost exclusively in every major Group one mile race in GB and Ireland, he was placed  in the Irish Champion Stakes,St James Palace Stakes, Eng/Ire 2000 guineas etc he raced six times at three with two seconds one third and three fourths.

Duke Of Marmalade came back as a four year old as a totally stronger and classier horse he got the ball rolling in the Prix Ganay in France at 10F, this was his first Group one win, his next win at the highest level was in the Group one Tattersalls Gold Cup defeating Finsceal Beo his second consecutive Group one, he followed these wins up in the Juddmonte International Stakes, King George, Prince Of Wales Stakes all at 10F these wins earned him a well deserved title of European Champion older horse.

Duke Of Marmalade is an outstandingly bred son of Danehill, Duke Of Marmalade is out of the royally bred Kingmambo mare Love Me True she was a winner of the Group three Killavullen Stakes at two and was placed in a Listed race at Naas. Duke Of Marmalade's 2nd dam is  Lassie's Lady winner of two races in the US, she produced Grade two and three winner Bite The Bullet, and Shuailaan a multiple Listed winner and Graded place.

Duke Of Marmalade's 3rd dam is the outstanding broodmare Lassie Dear a daughter of Buckpasser, she was a Grade three winner who proved a revelation at stud producing Graded/Grade one winners Wolfhound, Weekend Surprise,LemonDropKid and Statue Of Liberty, Weekend Surprise proved also to be a revelation at stud producing champion US sire AP Indy, and Summer Squall. Weekend Surprise is also grand dam of Grade one winner Court Vision, this is from one of the most successful families in USA and in the general stud book.

Duke Of Marmalade comes from a female line with a huge reputation for producing stallions. Duke Of Marmalade's yearlings and foals were as expected in demand at the sales, Duke Of Marmalade was represented by his first two year olds in 2012 getting around twelve individual winners, he didn't produce any stakes winners with his two year olds and it affected him in the sales ring his median sale price for his yearlings that year was only £12,000, some people had suddenly given up on this sire.

However Duke Of Marmalade seems to have turned the tables he sired two stakes winning three year olds just days apart his first stakes winner came with Morning Frost in France and Alive Alive Oh in Ireland both fillies hold classic engagements for 2013 with connections of Alive Alive Oh very optimistic that she can become an Oaks winner, this success has brought bloodstock agents to believe that Duke Of Marmalade is the bargain sire for 2013.

Personally myself I always thought that with Duke Of Marmalade's progeny they would become better horses with age and his recent results have proved that, for me he never had the profile to become a sire of a juvenile Group one winner he himself didn't run in a Group one until his classic year and when he did he put in some fine performances. Im hoping Duke Of Marmalde can keep the ball rolling he is bred to become a nice sire and hopefully it wont be too long more until his progeny can compete and win in Group one level.