Holy Roman Emperor is already an accomplished sire, having produced ten Group 1 winners to-date worldwide. We can examine the pedigrees of his best performed runners to determine which elements of his pedigrees mares are responding to – a good technique for predicting further success.
The GOODY TWO SHOES family seems to be working particularly well with Holy Roman Emperor, with SADLER’S WELLS and his sons GALILEO and BARATHEA also being from the Northern Dancer line. His Gr 1 winner RICH TAPESTRY is out of a daughter of Sadler’s Wells as are another six stakes horses, while Gr 2 winner RICH LEGACY, Gr 3 winner LEITIR MOR and a further three Listed winners have Galileo as their damsire. Barathea is responsible for the dam of Gr 2 winner CHARLES THE GREAT. Sadler’s Wells can also be sourced via mares by such sires as HIGH CHAPARRAL, SCENIC, MONTJEU, CARNEGIE and EL PRADO (and sons ARTIE SCHILLER, KITTEN’S JOY and MEDAGLIA D’ORO).
Broodmare sire representatives of Sadler’s Wells’ brother FAIRY KING are also appealing. Holy Roman Emperor has produced a stakes winner out of a mare by his son, REVOQUE. Others include ENCOSTA DE LAGO and sons, plus FALBRAV and HELISSIO.
Representatives of Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King’s three-quarter brother NUREYEV include STRAVINSKY, SPINNING WORLD, STARCRAFT and PEINTRE CELEBRE.
THATCHING is another GOODY TWO SHOES family member doing well with Holy Roman Emperor. Thatching and his son TIROL are each responsible for another stakes performer. Mares by ARCHWAY, PUISSANCE, RUSTIC AMBER, SEQUALO and SHALFORD are other options to deliver Thatching.
The ROBERTO line is also performing with Holy Roman Emperor, including producing the Gr 1 winner ROLLOUT THE CARPET. Mares by RED RANSOM, SRI PEKAN, KRIS S, LEAR FAN, BROCCO, AT TALAQ, DUPORTH and ALL AMERICAN are from this sire line.
Holy Roman Emperor’s damsire Secretariat possesses a Nasrullah / Princequillo cross which can be either replicated or reversed by the presence of influences such as DIGNITAS, RIVERMAN, CHIEFTAIN, GODSWALK, FIRST CONSUL, IMPERIALIST, DEDICATED RULLAH, WITHOUT FEAR, KEY TO THE KINGDOM, MILL REEF, TARGOWICE, BOLD LAD (USA), KRIS S and MUKADDAMAH.
Holy Roman Emperor is from the family of ENCOSTA DE LAGO (by Fairy King) and Flying Spur (also by Danehill and therefore unsuitable for him in matings). Daughters of Encosta De Lago or his sons will create line breeding to the prepotent mare, CIBOULETTE. From six runners out of Encosta De Lago mares, Holy Roman Emperor is yet to produce a stakes winner, however a similar Rasmussen pattern combining close relations Flying Spur and Encosta De Lago produced dual Gr 1 winner DELAGO DELUXE. Other suitable CIBOULETTE family members for Holy Roman Emperor include HIDEYOSHI, MEDAILLE D’OR, NIGHT SHIFT and SNAADEE.
Broodmare descendants of Nijinsky II are having great success with Holy Roman Emperor. Representatives such as ALI-ROYAL (damsire of Gr 1 winner BEAUTY ONLY), KAHYASI (damsire of Gr 2 winner PARVENEH) and ROYAL ACADEMY (Gr 3 winner AMARILLO) lead the charge. Other sources include BEL ESPRIT, BLETCHLEY PARK, WESTERN SYMPHONY, CAERLEON and FANTASTIC LIGHT.
Holy Roman Emperor’s impressive Gr 1 son MONGOLIAN KHAN is out of a mare by CENTAINE.
A son of Danehill, Holy Roman Emperor also carries a duplication of fellow ALMAHMOUD family member, Northern Dancer. Broodmares with other ALMAHMOUD descendants such as HALO (via descendants such as MORE THAN READY, DUBLEO, OREGON, SUNDAY SILENCE, FUJI KISEKI) plus WAY OF LIGHT, MACHIAVELLIAN (sire of MEDAGLIA D’ORO, STREET CRY, VETTORI and ARCTIC TERN in their pedigrees provide significant reinforcement. Gr 2 winner ANGELIC LIGHT is out of a Fuji Kiseki mare.
Being a Danehill son, it is no surprise that MR. PROSPECTOR line mares have experienced success with Holy Roman Emperor. Daughters of ZAFONIC, CHOCTAW RIDGE, MACHIAVELLIAN, LYCIUS, KING’S BEST and SECRET SAVINGS have already produced Group winners with him. Mares by sires including FUSAICHI PEGASUS, HUSSONET, RHYTHM, STRAIGHT STRIKE, STREET CRY, UNBRIDLED’S SONG, KINGMAMBO, E DUBAI, DISTORTED HUMOR, THUNDER GULCH, VETTORI, or carrying WOODMAN or FAPPIANO are other candidates.
There is a renowned nick between ancestors BOLD RULER, PRINCE JOHN, WAR ADMIRAL and EIGHT THIRTY. Holy Roman Emperor carries Bold Ruler up close on his third remove and lines to War Admiral via Danehill. He has already worked with mares with Prince John up close, producing Irish Gr 1 winner SUMMER TRYSTING and Brazilian Gr 1 winner SALTO OLIMPICO. He is present in such broodmare sires as SUCCESS EXPRESS (who also carries Eight Thirty) and son MOSSMAN, SALIERI (damsire of MAGIC ALBERT), ROYAL ACADEMY and sons BEL ESPRIT, VAL ROYAL and ALI-ROYAL.
The KENMARE line has had success with Holy Roman Emperor. Gr 1 winner SHEIDEL is out of a METAL STORM mare. Sons such as KELTRICE, KENFAIR, METAL STORM, TRIBU and VERGLAS should suit.
Written April 2017
