Written July 2002
Purchased as a three year old by The National Stud in the U.K., Golden Snake went on to add to his Group One win in the Prix Jean Prat (1800m) a further three Group One races over the following two seasons.
At four years he won the Group One Deutsche Post Euro Express Preis von Europa (2800m) and the Group One Gran Premio del Jockey Club (2800m).
His five year old form in 2001 included an impressive win in the Gr.1 Prix Ganay (2100m) at Longchamp and a highly credible neck second to the twice crowned World Champion and Cartier Horse of the Year, Fantastic Light in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (2000m) at the Curragh, beating the dual Group One winner, Kalanisi.
Robert Roulston negotiated with the National Stud to secure a three-year shuttle lease for Golden Snake to stand at Lynden Park Stud in Victoria and finally it seems that he will actually make it!
A son of the mighty Danzig, Golden Snake is out of Dubian, a terrific racemare by the successful broodmare sire, High Line. A Group One winner herself, Dubian is the dam of six winners including the Champion Three Year Old filly and Champion Older Mare, Sayyedati (by Shadeed).
My chief reason for enthusiasm for Golden Snake is his female line. A direct descendant of LADY JOSEPHINE, his fifth dam Neolight is a half sister to the brilliant racehorse, Tudor Minstrel.
Lady Josephine is one of the most successful matrons in Thoroughbred history. Examples of her descendants are Nasrullah, Fair Trial, Mahmoud, Royal Charger, Tudor Minstrel, Coeur Volant, Nizami, Furrokh Siyar, Jambo, Aristophanes, Abernant, Kazakstaan, Badruddin, Jambo, Migoli, Nilo, Faux Tirage, Kalamoun and Prince Taj.
Stallions currently standing in Australasia who are from this line include Octagonal, Danewin, Commands, Dangerous, Viscount, Kaapstad, Kbenjar, Centre Stalls, Lacryma Cristi, Ladoni, North Reef, Savoir Vivre, Dust in the Wind, Nayrizi, Nediym and Telesto. The vast majority of these sires trace to Lady Josephine through Royal Charger’s sister, Tessa Gillian.
The added attraction of Golden Snake is not only that he hails from a different section of the Lady Jospephine family, but that the rest of his pedigree reinforces the strength of this line.
Golden Snake’s second dam Melodina is highly linebred to Lady Josephine. She is by Tudor Melody (a son of Tudor Minstrel) out of a mare by Never Say Die (a son of Nasrullah) and as I already mentioned, tracing to Tudor Minstrel’s half sister, Neolight.
Melodina herself was a class racehorse – a stakes winner who was Group One placed. As is common with a mare carrying such an intense pedigree pattern however, she was also a top class broodmare.
Golden Snake’s illustrious half sister Sayyedati is by Shadeed, who contributes Nasrullah, Mahmoud, Badruddin, Aristophanes and Fair Trial from this family.
Fair Trial would seem to be a great reinforcement for Melodina, as he is a half brother to Tudor Minstrel’s dam and Melodina’s fourth dam, Sansonnet.
Danzig, Golden Snake’s sire, contributes Fair Trial and Mahmoud to his dams’ Lady Josephine contingent.
So, how can we exploit this strength? While many of the Lady Josephine family line stallions mentioned above do not yet have daughters at stud, it is also worth noting that stallions such as Danewin, Dangerous, Commands, North Reef and Ladoni are grandsons of Danzig themselves. Inbreeding to Danzig through two sons (as would result from putting mares by these stallions to Golden Snake) is generally not considered at good pattern.
OCTAGONAL and KAAPSTAD mares, from the Sir Ivor line, would be good mates for Golden Snake, however.
There are several good stallions with daughters of breeding age who, though not tail female descendants of Lady Josephine, carry some key family members up close and can add to the likelihood of inheriting the bounties this family offers.
Mares by CANNY LAD fill the bill. His sire Bletchingly not only carries Fair Trial on his third remove, but he also traces directly to TWINE THE PLAIDEN, also ancestress of Golden Snake’s sire, Danzig. Canny Lad’s granddam Beautiful Dreamer – like Golden Snake’s granddam – is heavily linebred to Lady Josephine. She is by Coeur Volant, himself a descendant whose grandsire Fair Trial is also a descendant. Her damsire is Jambo, a half brother to Coeur Volant’s dam. Canny Lad’s damsire Lunchtime also throws in a line to Nasrullah further back.
LUSKIN STAR mares are also appealing. Tudor Minstrel (through a daughter to ‘sex balance’ the son in Golden Snake) and Fair Trial are prominent in his pedigree. Mares by Luskin Star’s son COVETOUS is particularly desirable. Covetous’ dam Admire is by a grandson of Nasrullah and out of a mare by Jambo.
Daughters of KENMARE are also special partners for Golden Snake. He is very strong in the Lady Josephine family and is proven to work very well with more of that line. Kenmare is by family member Kalamoun, carries Fair Trial, Badruddin and two lines to Nasrullah. Kenmare himself traces to PARAFFIN, who is present in Golden Snake via Tudor Melody and Never Say Die.
JEUNE mares, like Kenmare, carry Kalamoun. They also contribute a duplication of both Fair Trial and Nasrullah as well as Badruddin.
Sons of THATCHING, such as ARCHWAY, RUSTIC AMBER and SHALFORD should also work well. Thatching contributes Aristophanes, Abernant, Nasrullah and Fair Trial.
Mares carrying Fair Trial’s speedy son COURT MARTIAL will also benefit from meeting up with Golden Snake.
