During the course of analysing stallions’ pedigrees for studs and broodmares for breeders, there has occasionally be one sire / broodmare sire cross which jumps out as potentially being turbo charged. Here are a few examples I have come across this season to-date (in no particular order). Obviously these stallions also work well with many other lines, but if you own a daughter or granddaughter of any of the broodmare sires mentioned, you may have found her perfect match!
MSHAWISH – Swettenham’s new shuttler is a son of Medaglia D’Oro. He carries a triplication of Northern Dancer, although significantly, there is an absence of fellow ALMAHMOUD family member DANEHILL. In Australia, Medaglia D’Oro has eight Group winners, five of which are out of mares from the Danehill sire line. Mshawish’s dam Thunder Bayou is inbred to Storm Bird 3f x 3m, one of those through his most successful son, Storm Cat. This influence is a close relation to ROYAL ACADEMY and should work well with mares carry this sire. Medaglia D’Oro has produced Group 1 winner COFFEE CLIQUE out of a Royal Academy mare. Danehill sire FASTNET ROCK is out of a Royal Academy mare, giving his daughters a double dose of compatibility with Mshawish.
BENFICA – This proven young Aquis Farm sire backs up what his pedigree suggests by already producing winners from STRATEGIC mares. Benfica traces on tail female line to DEMOCRATIE. This is also the family of Champion Sire, Showdown. Linebreeding to DEMOCRATIE can be created through ZEDITAVE (and his sons STRATEGIC and MAGIC ALBERT). Benfica is already showing a liking for mares by STRATEGIC, having produced Scone Inglis Challenge winner BARBASS and another winner out of mares by this sire.
AMERICAN PHAROAH – Coolmore’s new boy has a pedigree with several unfamiliar elements to Aussie breeders, however they do have relations here that will knit in very well. Mares by Danehill’s son ORATORIO look particularly appealing. American Pharoah is relatively light in the ALMAHMOUD family, with only two presences of Northern Dancer on his fifth remove. DANEHILL is a member of this prepotent family, so mares from this prolific sire line will suit. American Pharoah’s second damsire Ecliptical is from the REAL DELIGHT family of Alydar, Grand Slam and Oratorio (Ire). The latter’s daughters are particularly appealing, as he also carries fellow family member Alydar.
DREAM AHEAD – One of our leading second season sires and standing at Emirates Park, Dream Ahead is already showing some affinities, however a couple that might yet to be discovered are with SCENIC and CAPE CROSS mares. Dream Ahead’s sire Diktat is by Scenic’s close relation Warning, both being grandsons of WHERE YOU LEAD. Diktat is out of a daughter of Sadlers’ Wells, creating a 4f x 3m (sex balanced) duplication of this important ancestor. Cape Cross is a half brother to Diktat’s dam, both being out of PARK APPEAL. In addition, he is a son of Green Desert, sex balancing the daughter (Dream Ahead’s granddam) in his pedigree.
ARLINGTON – There is a well known nick between US ancestors Bold Ruler, Prince John, War Admiral and Eight Thirty. Tamalee Farm’s Arlington carries Prince John and Eight Thirty via his damsire Success Express while he also has two lines to War Admiral further back. Mares carrying Bold Ruler and more War Admiral would complete the set. Bold Ruler is present in Salieri, damsire of MAGIC ALBERT, who is particularly appealing as he also sex balances Speak John and Damascus for Arlington. Magic Albert’s great grandsire Showdown traces to DEMOCRATIE, also the ancestress of Arlington’s sire, Red Ransom. Another damsire which can’t escape mention for Arlington is HUSSONET. He not only carries Bold Ruler and War Admiral up relatively close, but he is a half brother to EKRAAR, Red Ransom’s Group 1 winning son.
HALLOWED CROWN – Approaching his third season at stud, Darley’s Hallowed Crown looks very pretty over mares carrying ZABEEL. Hallowed Crown’s second dam Significant Moment (by Bletchingly) is a half sister to Zabeel. This creates a Rasmussen Factor pattern (where different offspring of a mare are brought together within five generations). This fact has not been lost on some breeders, as Hallowed Crown has covered several mares in the past two seasons carrying Zabeel. Another damsire from this same line is CARNEGIE, who has much in common with Hallowed Crown’s third dam Lady Giselle. Not only do they both have DERNA as their granddam, they are by three-quarter brothers Sadler’s Wells (Carnegie) and Nureyev (Lady Giselle).
Sons of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT – On the back of superstar sire I Am Invincible’s success, several studs have added sons of Invincible Spirit to their roster. In total, there are BRAZEN BEAU, ZEBEDEE, SHALAA, CABLE BAY, TERRITORIES and AJAYA. I am Invincible has had Group success with SIR TRISTRAM and his son ZABEEL in broodmares’ pedigrees. Sir Tristram’s sire Sir Ivor is sex balanced in a mating with Invincible Spirit and sons, via Green Desert’s dam Foreign Courier and Sir Tristram himself. His dam is bred on a Round Table / My Babu cross, copying the pattern in Invincible Spirit’s second damsire, Artaius. On top of this, Zabeel mares create a reverse Sir Ivor / Northern Dancer pattern to that in Green Desert, suggesting more speed than Zabeel would normally deliver.
SWEET ORANGE (USA) – Aquis Farm’s new sire by War Front looks a shoe-in for daughters or granddaughters of HONOUR AND GLORY. Sweet Orange is inbred to Fappiano, whose second dam GRAND SPLENDOUR is also the third dam of Honour And Glory. Relaunch, sire of Honour And Glory, is a brother to Moon Glitter, the granddam of War Front’s damsire Rubiano. In addition, Honour And Glory provides reinforcement of ancestors such as Caro, Lyphard and In Reality.
Obviously a ‘sire over broodmare
sire’ analysis only looks at three-quarters of the resulting foal’s pedigree, the mare’s dam being ignored. That lower quadrant can change the whole complexion of the credentials of the mating (for good or bad), so ensure you have a look at the match as a whole before committing to the marriage!
Written May 2017
