Written May 2015
Paximadia is a great grandson of HELEN STREET, a taproot of the PARAFFIN family. Helen Street is also the ancestress of STREET CRY and SHAMARDAL. Mares by these sires or their sons such as STREET SENSE, STREET BOSS, LOPE DE VEGA will create a desirable Rasmussen Factor duplication of Helen Street.
Fantastic Light, damsire of Paximadia, is by Rahy. Rahy is from the same family as SINGSPIEL, SAINT BALLADO, DEVIL’S BAG, RIVOTIOUS, JAN MURRAY and MANSHOOD, so mares carrying any of these individuals appeal in reinforcing the MISS SWAPSCO line. SINGSPIEL is the damsire of Group 1 winning Commands’ son, EPAULETTE, adding more credibility to this cross for Paximadia.
Paximadia’s second damsire Sadler’s Wells is a member of the GOODY TWO SHOES (5) family. Other members of this family which would enhance this line are FAIRY KING (sire of ENCOSTA DE LAGO), NORTHERN METEOR, NUREYEV, PERUGINO, VAL DE LOIR, RIDAN, LORENZACCIO, TATE GALLERY, GEIGER COUNTER, YEATS, INFLATE, REFORM, TOPSIDER, FESTIVAL HALL and OPEN DAY.
Paximadia’s highly successful sire Commands is from the family of OCTAGONAL and KAAPSTAD. His Group 2 winners RAIN AFFAIR and ALTAR are out of Octagonal mares. They are from the SIR TRISTRAM sire line, whose son ZABEEL has also enjoyed success with Commands, producing two Group 1 winners, PURPLE and COMMANDING JEWEL. Other Sir Tristram line broodmare sires to use include SOVEREIGN RED, MARAUDING, DR. GRACE, GROSVENOR, MILITARY PLUME and LONHRO.
Commands has worked extremely well with the STAR KINGDOM line, including Group 1 winners PARATROOPERS (SANCTION) and UNDUE (BLETCHINGLY) and Group 2 winners EL CAMBIO, GREGERS (CANNY LAD) and FIRST COMMAND (HURRICANE SKY) etc. Other Star Kingdom line damsires to seek for Paximadia include LUSKIN STAR, STAR WATCH, CHRISTMAS TREE, JETBALL and MARSCAY.
Commands has produced Group 1 winner APPEARANCE out of a GRAND LODGE mare, also damsire of his Group winners MARCHING and KANZAN.
QUEST FOR FAME has had great success with Commands including Group 1 winners EREWHON and SKILLED. In addition, Paximadia’s damsire Fantastic Light is bred on a Blushing Groom / Herbager / Nijinsky II cross, a pattern which is desirably repeated in QUEST FOR FAME.
Sex balancing Nijinsky II (who is represented by daughter Jood in Paximadia) is also a good technique. Mares by ROYAL ACADEMY, BLETCHLEY PARK, WESTERN SYMPHONY or carrying CAERLEON, SERHEED, YEATS or WHISKEY ROAD create this pattern.
Paximadia carries Grey Sovereign through daughter Grey Rhythm in Commands. Sons of GREY SOVEREIGN appeal, including mares by such representatives as KENMARE, KENDOR, KELTRICE, JON GEORGE, HIGHEST HONOR and NISHAPOUR. Commands’ Group 3 winner SHE RULES is out of a KENFAIR mare.
The ALMAHMOUD family is represented in Paximadia by Northern Dancer (three lines), Danehill and Halo through a daughter. Sex balancing Halo can be created by introducing damsires such as MORE THAN READY (sire of SEBRING etc), DON’T SAY HALO, DEVIL’S BAG, DUBLEO and FUJI KISEKI. Fellow ALMAHMOUD family member MACHIAVELLIAN is sourced through daughters / granddaughters of STREET CRY, VETTORI and NO EXCUSE NEEDED.
Mares by RED RANSOM and his sons such as CHARGE FORWARD, DOMESDAY, DUPORTH etc appeal. The Commands / Red Ransom cross has produced Group 2 winner VILANOVA. In addition, Red Ransom provides a daughter of Nearctic to sex balance the three male presences in Paximadia as well as contributing to the PRETTY POLLY family, of which Paximadia’s damsire Fantastic Light is also a member.
The SUNSHOT family is represented in Paximadia by Bold Reason, Never Bend and Solferino. Reinforcement of this classic line is most easily sourced by damsires from the NEVER BEND sire line (sex balancing this individual in Paximadia). Look for mares with BRIEF TRUCE, MILL REEF, LAST TYCOON or RIVOTIOUS for instance.
The MR. PROSPECTOR line provides an outcross for Paximadia, a pattern which has worked well for Danehill line stallions. Western Australian Guineas winner ROMMEL is by Commands out of a mare from this line. Mares by HUSSONET, FUSAICHI PEGASUS, STREET CRY, WOODMAN, E DUBAI and THUNDER GULCH are examples.
