Galileo and now Dubawi have so thoroughly dominated European sire ranks over the last decade that some truly outstanding sires are largely overlooked by pundits and, to an extent, breeders and yearling buyers. Shamardal has flown largely under the radar, despite the fact that Sheikha Reika, winner of the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday, is his 21st Grade 1 winner from 123 career black-type winners. Bred in Kentucky in the name of Brilliant Stables, Shamardal was from the first and only crop sired in Ireland by three-time leading American sire Giant’s Causeway. His dam, stakes-placed Helsinki, by Machiavellian, was a full sister to Street Cry, who won the Dubai World Cup and the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap in the year of Shamardal’s birth. Street Cry’s dam, Helen Street, by Troy, won the Group 1 Irish Oaks and stemmed from one of the best Ballymacoll Stud families. :: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales That justified a $485,000 sale price for Shamardal as a weanling at the 2002 Keeneland November sale, but that sale was subsequently rescinded when Shamardal was diagnosed as a wobbler. His condition was considered severe enough that an insurance claim was paid, but after treatment he reappeared at the 2003 Tattersalls October yearling sale without any notice or record apparent of his prior diagnosis, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s representative Michael Goodbody paid 50,000 guineas (about $87,000) for him. Trained by Mark Johnston, who was underbidder at Tattersalls, Shamardal quickly proved himself the best 2-year-old in England, sweeping a maiden race, the Group 2 Vintage Stakes, and the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. Shamardal was transferred to Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor for his 3-year-old campaign with the express purpose of a tilt at the Kentucky Derby, but that quest went off the rails in his only start on dirt when he ran ninth in the UAE Derby. Shamardal had not been fully fit in Dubai, but by the time the French 2,000 Guineas arrived in May he was back to his best and back on turf. An habitual front-runner, he led throughout to win by a head. Stretched out to 1 5/16 miles for the French Derby, he was again allowed an easy lead and held off the closing charge of the stayer Hurricane Run to win by a neck. Shamardal ran only once more, again leading all the way to win the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes over a mile before a chipped ankle forced his retirement to Kildangan Stud, having won six of his seven starts and never having been headed on turf. Like Giant’s Causeway, Shamardal sired an obvious successor in his first crop in Lope de Vega (out of Lady Vettori, by Vettori), who duplicated his sire’s victories in the French Guineas and French Derby. Lope de Vega is not as good a sire as Shamardal but counts six Group 1 winners among his 47 black-type winners. Shamardal’s subsequent crops have included Prix Ganay winner Darian (Daryakana, by Selkirk), Cheveley Park Stakes and English highweight Lumiere (Screen Star, by Tobougg), Group 1 Eclipse Stakes winner Mukhadram (Magic Tree, by Timber Country), and Hong Kong champions Able Friend (Ponte Piccolo, by Volksraad) and Pakistan Star (Nina Celebre, by Peintre Celebre). Sheikha Reika is a full sister to Lumiere though not nearly as precocious. Their dam, Screen Star, by Tobougg, won at 2 in England. Screen Star’s dam, stakes-placed Actoris, by Diesis, failed to produce any black type winners. Sheikha Reika’s third dam, Avice Caro, by Caro, likewise failed to improve the family’s catalog page, but she isa  half-sister to Grade 2 winner Sensation, by Soviet Star, and stakes winner Superiority, by Arazi, out of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and champion 2-year-old filly Outstandingly, by Exclusive Native. The family traces to Busanda, by War Admiral, the dam of Buckpasser, and thus to the immortal La Troienne. In more recent years the family has also produced the good sires Bernstein and Sky Mesa. Sheikha Reika was bred in France by Mark Johnston and sold for 550,000 guineas ($735,000) to trainer Roger Varian at the 2016 Tattersalls October yearling sale. She races for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al-Maktoum. Sheikha Reika is the sixth foal out of Screen Star, who also has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Authorized named Enshroud who sold for 90,000 guineas ($118,000) at Tattersalls December sale as a weanling; a yearling colt by Golden Horn sold last week at Tattersalls October for 210,000 guineas ($290,000); and a 2018 filly by Lope de Vega.