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Victories by Gallante in the Sydney Cup and Lucia Valentina in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick meant that four autumn carnival Group One winners carried the blood of deceased European classic star and sire Montjeu in their immediate pedigrees.

Montjeu appears as the sire of Gallante, a Lloyd Williams family raced 5YO gelding who raced in Europe as a 3YOt for a Coolmore partnership when he won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp.

Lucia Valentina is a 5YO mare by Zabeel’s Cox Plate winner Savabeel from Staryn Glenn, a New Zealand bred non-winner by Montjeu.

Now the winner of seven races and earner of over $4 million, Lucia Valentina races out of the Kris Lees stable at Newcastle for her NZ-based owner Lib Petagna.

They were preceded by classic winners Tarzino in the Rosehill Guineas and Tavago in the Australian Derby.

Both are by Tavistock, a New Zealand bred son of Montjeu standing at Cambridge Stud.

Tavistock, a winner in New Zealand of two G1 races at 1400m, was one of five G1 winners left by Montjeu from his four southern hemisphere seasons standing in New Zealand from 2002 to 2005.

The others have been Wall Street, Nom du Jeu, Sharvasti and Roman Emperor.

Nom du Jeu and Roman Emperor are also at stud while New Zealand studs also host other Montjeu southern hemisphere stars Guillotine (G2 winner), Gallant Guru (G2 winner) and Mettre en Jeu (G1 placed).

Beside Gallante other Irish-bred performers by Montjeu to make an impact when racing in Australia include Green Moon (Melbourne Cup), The Offer (Sydney Cup), Speed Gifted (AJC Metropolitan) and Mount Athos (Melbourne Cup placed).

Another recent imported Montjeu winner is Caillebotte, a 6YO gelding who easily won a 2220m event at Doomben on April 9.

Like Montjeu he is out of a mare by Machiavellian and is trained by Matthew Dunn at Murwillumbah for OTI Racing, Glenlogan Park Stud and Werrett Bloodstock.

Montjeu boasts an outstanding honour board from his 11 seasons of use at Coolmore Stud in Ireland.

His noted stars include St Nicholas Abbey (six G1 wins), Camelot (English Derby, 2000 Guineas, Irish Derby), Hurricane Run (Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Irish Derby, Ascot King George V1 & Queen Elizabeth), Authorized (English Derby, Racing Post 2YO Trophy), Motivator (Irish Derby, Racing Post Trophy), Pour Moi (English Derby), Frozen Fire (Irish Derby), Leading Light (Ascot Gold Cup, English St Leger), Chicquita (Irish Oaks), Bracelet (Irish Oaks) and Fame And Glory (Irish Derby, Ascot Gold Cup).

Credited with world wide statistics of 795 winners (120 SWs, 69 Group winners) of 2340 races and over $A139million, Montjeu was a world class stayer.

His 16 starts included 11 wins, six of them G1 including the Irish Derby, French Derby, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Ascot King George V1 & Queen Elizabeth.

He was ranked World Champion 3YO of 1999, a year he was also awarded a high Timeform rating of 137.

Montjeu died at Coolmore in Ireland at the age of 16 in 2012.