Other than the Breeders’ Cup, the most international race meeting on the planet occurs each June in the Berkshire hills west of London in the village of Ascot. Last week, horses trained in England, Ireland, Australia, France, and the United States converged on Ascot Racecourse to divide the spoils of 22 black-type races, including eight Group 1’s, seven Group 2’s and four Group 3’s. That makes the Royal Ascot meeting perhaps the best place to take a snapshot of the state of the global Thoroughbred industry, and the obvious conclusion to draw from the 2018 meeting is that it’s Juddmonte’s world, and the rest of us are just living in it. Juddmonte took home the trophies (and the prize money) with homebreds for three of the 22 featured races over five days. The promising 2-year-old colt Calyx from the first crop of Juddmonte’s champion miler Kingman put up a brilliant performance in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes on opening day, quickly followed by the victory of the 4-year-old gelding Monarchs Glen, by Juddmonte’s undefeated champion Frankel, in the listed Wolferton Stakes. Then on Day 2, the previously rather disappointing 3-year-old colt Expert Eye, by Acclamation, returned to his best form with an easy victory in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes. The pedigrees of all three are typical of contemporary Juddmonte pedigrees. Calyx is a fourth-generation Juddmonte-bred, descending from the Star Envoy mare Populi, dam of champion Vanlandingham, as a broodmare in 1983. Kingman, the champion European 3-year-old and miler of 2014, is third-generation Juddmonte-bred, descending from the Mill Reef mare Bahamian, purchased as a yearling in 1985. Frankel also is a third-generation Juddmonte-bred, with the Stage Door Johnny mare Rockfest as the Juddmonte taproot, and his son Monarchs Glen is fourth-generation Juddmonte-bred, descending from the Round Table mare Gangster of Love, who was purchased privately in 1983. Expert Eye is the outlier of the three, with the non-Juddmonte stallion Acclamation as his sire, but Expert Eye also is a fourth-generation Juddmonte-bred, with Chris Evert’s daughter Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II, purchased as a broodmare in 1987, as his fourth dam. Those homebred winners, though, only begin to tell the story of Juddmonte’s widespread influence. Frankel also sired Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes winner Without Parole (out of Without You Babe, by Lemon Drop Kid), while Juddmonte-bred Camacho sired Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Signora Cabello (Journalist, by Night Shift), and Juddmonte-bred Showcasing sired Windsor Castle Stakes winner Soldier’s Call (Dijarvo, by Iceman). Juddmonte’s 1997 European champion 2-year-old Xaar is broodmare sire of Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Accidental Agent, by Delegator, and the latter’s sire is Juddmonte-bred Dansili. Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Magic Wand, by Galileo, is out of the Dansili mare Prudenzia, who also is dam of Irish Oaks winner Chicquita, by Montjeu. Group 2 Duke of Cambridge winner Aljazzi, by Shamardal, is out of Nouriya, by the great Juddmonte-bred sire Danehill (sire of Dansili), and Mastercraftsman, sire of Group 1 Coronation Stakes winner Alpha Centauri, and Fastnet Rock, sire of Group 1 Diamond Jubilee winner Merchant Navy, are, respectively, grandson and son of Danehill. And finally, Dansili is sire of Zoffany, whose daughter Main Edition captured the Group 3 Albany Stakes. In case you lost count, that means 12 of the 22 black-type races at Royal Ascot boasted direct, close ties to Juddmonte’s breeding operation. Even Coolmore’s ubiquitous Sadler’s Wells connection extended to only 10 2018 Royal Ascot winners in similar close fashion. Easily the most impressive performance of the week came from the Niarchos Family’s Alpha Centauri who smashed the Ascot course record for a mile with her six-length demolition of a high-quality field of 3-year-old fillies in the Coronation. Alpha Centauri comes from the first crop sired by Mastercraftsman after he showed his ability with his first 2-year-olds when the son of Danehill Dancer, a champion miler in his own right, was rewarded with better mares for his early success. Alpha Centauri’s dam, Alpha Lupi, by Rahy, is a daughter of 1994 French champion 3-year-old filly and French Oaks winner East of the Moon, by Private Account. East of the Moon’s dam is, of course, the immortal Miesque, by Nureyev. With that kind of pedigree ammunition, the future looks bright for Mastercraftsman.