Nine of the 12 entries in the 2018 Epsom Derby carried a cross of the top-class racemare and all-time great broodmare Urban Sea in their pedigrees. Only one of them, however, carried two crosses of Urban Sea - the most influential broodmare of the 21st century - and that horses, Masar, won comfortably, giving Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum a rather ironic first Derby victory in his Godolphin blue colors. For more than a decade, Sheikh Mohammed’s operation refused to buy yearlings by Urban Sea’s all-conquering son Galileo, by Sadler’s Wells, because of disagreements with Galileo’s owner, Coolmore. Sheikh Mohammed did, however, purchase the two horses who did the most to set Galileo’s stud career alight, 2006 European champion 2-year-old Teofilo, and 2007 champion 2-year-old and 2008 champion 3-year-old New Approach. He bought both from their owner-trainer, Jim Bolger, after their undefeated juvenile seasons. Coolmore has yet to establish a son of Galileo as a proven successor, but Teofilo has sired 75 black-type winners, including 14 Group 1 winners, and New Approach is the sire of Masar and 36 other black-type winners. :: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales Bred in Ireland by Patricia Burns’s Lodge Park Stud, New Approach was from the third crop of Galileo, winner of the 2001 Derby. New Approach was the best of three top-class runners produced by Ireland’s 1985 champion 2-year-old filly Park Express, by Ahonoora, who also won the Group 1 Phoenix Park Champion Stakes at 3 over 10 furlongs. Her daughter Dazzling Park, by Warning, was highweighted filly in Europe at 3, and her son Shinko Forest, by Green Desert, won the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya-Kinen in Japan. Park Express is also dam of stakes-placed Alluring Park, dam of Coolmore’s 2012 Epsom Oaks winner Was, by Galileo, and her Group 3-winning full brother Douglas MacArthur. A massive, striking chestnut beast, New Approach swept all five of his starts at 2, in England and Ireland, including Group 1 wins in the Dewhurst and National stakes. He was beaten in his first two starts at 3 in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas, however, by Henrythenavigator, before redeeming his reputation with victory in the 2008 Epsom Derby. Third in the Juddmonte International, he closed his career with imperious victories in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Newmarket. New Approach’s first crop created a sensation in 2012, when he sired three winners at the Royal Ascot meeting, headed by the year’s champion-2-year-old Dawn Approach (Hymn of the Dawn, by Phone Trick). Dawn Approach followed up with victory in the 2013 2,000 Guineas but failed to stay in the Derby. That sterling first crop also included 2013 Epsom Oaks winner Talent (Prowess, by Peintre Celebre), and New Approach followed up with Group 1 winners Potemkin (Praia, by Big Shuffle), Elliptique (Uryale, by Kendor), May’s Dream (She’s Archie, by Archway), and Sultanina (Soft Centre, by Zafonic), but in truth his stud career had become a bit disappointing until Masar came along. Masar, who was bred by Godolphin, is the second foal out of Khawlah, by Cape Cross. Khawlah defeated colts in the Group 2 UAE Derby. She has since produced an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Shamardal, and a 2018 filly by Dubawi. Khawlah is half-sister to French Group 2 winner Vancouverite, by Dansili. Their dam, Villarica, by Selkirk, was out of Urban Sea’s first daughter Melikah, by Lammtarra. Melikah was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed’s brother Sheikh Maktoum for $1.6 million at the 1998 Deauville yearling sale. Winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes, Melikah ran second in the Irish Oaks and third in the Oaks at Epsom. She was also a very good broodmare for Sheikh Mohammed, who acquired her after Sheikh Maktoum’s death. Melikah produced Group 2 winner and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe third Masterstroke, by Monsun; Group 3 winner Moonlight Magic, by Cape Cross; and stakes winner Hidden Gold, by Shamardal. Melikah is, of course, a half-sister to Galileo as well as his Epsom Derby-winning half brother Sea The Stars, by Cape Cross, and two other Group 1 winners. That makes Masar inbred 3x4 to Urban Sea, who is also granddam of Irish Oaks winner Bracelet, by Montjeu. He will not be the last Derby winner to carry multiple crosses of this great mare. New Approach, who has now sired 37 black type winners from 815 foals age 3 and up, established another 21st century first by becoming the first son of an Epsom Derby winner to both win the Derby himself and sire a Derby winner since Mill Reef’s son Shirley Heights sired Derby winner Slip Anchor in 1985.