Moutonshoek’s blue blooded stallion The United States hails from one of the best families in the stud book.
This magnificent family gained yet another notable boost when Whirl, whose dam Salsa is a full-sister to The United States, won the G1 Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
A three-year-old daughter of Wootton Bassett, Whirl had finished runner up in the G1 Betfred Oaks last time out.

The Group One event looked a match on paper between Andrew Balding’s proven Group One performer Kalpana (5-6 favourite) and Aidan O’Brien’s narrow Oaks second, and so it proved as the pair served up a Curragh Classic.

Ryan Moore was quickly away dictating terms aboard the 13-8 second-favourite, with Colin Keane never far away aboard the Juddmonte-owned Kalpana and must have thought the race was his for the taking when Whirl was asked for maximum effort with two furlongs to run with Kalpana still travelling menacingly.

However, Whirl was not for giving in and after a titanic tussle the Wootton Bassett filly pulled out extra inside the final furlong to shade a length and a quarter verdict and deny Juddmonte back-to-back victories in the feature event after Bluestocking 12 months ago.

Also victorious in this season’s G3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes, Whirl has won four of eight starts.

Her dam Salsa is a winning full-sister to the G1 winners The United States (Ranvet Stakes), Hydrangea (Matron Stakes, British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes) and dual Guineas queen Hermosa. The latter is the dam of this season’s G3 Hampton Court Stakes winner Trinity College (Dubawi), while Hydrangea is the dam of 2025 Listed Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes winner Officer.

This is also the family of star three-year-old Henri Matisse, an impressive winner of the 2025 G1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas).

The United States himself enjoyed success on Friday when his Listed Dahlia Plate winning son Kingdundee made it six wins from just nine starts.