G1 Pedigree Watch - Below the Curve

Tara Madgwick - Sunday February 25

There is a vast amount of time and money spent on looking for ways to enhance the chance of success in producing and /or purchasing elite racehorses and while there are key parameters that will put you above the curve it’s always worth noting we work in an unpredictable industry and sometimes just having a ticket in the lottery is all you need to win.

Four Group I races were run in Australasia on Saturday and the winners all have something in common, they don’t entirely fit the commercial ideal in terms of pedigree for success and yet they are all Group I winners, so let’s take a closer look.

Hayasugi wins the Blue Diamond - image Grant Courtney

The richest of the G1 races was the $2million MRC Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) with victory going to Royal Meeting (IRE) filly Hayasugi, who was too good for a pair of well related Written Tycoon fillies in Lady of Camelot and Kuroyanagi, read about her here.

She’s the first winner, stakes-winner and now G1 winner for her sire Royal Meeting (IRE), who is now the leading first crop sire in the country thanks to Hayasugi, but he has had six runners so far and only one other has placed and that’s Sydney trained War Council, whose had three runs for a third and a fourth at Randwick and Rosehill.

As a G1 winning 2YO by Invincible Spirit, Royal Meeting attracted pretty good support at Levena Park covering 366 mares in his first four seasons at a fee of $11,000 with last spring a harder slog (66 mares) in that tricky fourth year when the jury is very much out. What happens from here will be interesting. As we all know, one swallow does not make a summer and there have been a good many sires over the years that have produced one amazing horse in their first crop and then nothing like it from that day forward.

Hayasugi is the fifth Group I winner for top class Danehill sire Commands as a broodmare sire and her second dam is by another outstanding broodmare sire in Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad with the family producing sprint stars from last century in Accomplice and With Me. It might not be the most trendy of female families, but it’s fast and effective.

The $750,000 Group I MRC Oakleigh Plate (1100m) was won by South Australian trained gelding Queman, who was a last start Listed winner on Boxing Day, which was his first stakes win, read about him here.

Queman is the first G1 winner among three SW’s sired by imported Mint Lane (USA), a G2 winner by Champion US 2YO Maria's Mon, who stood in South Australia at Willow Grove Stud for 10 seasons with his fees ranging from $6,600 down to $2,200. His associate sire was a horse called Host (Chi), who also left a G1 winning sprinter in crowd pleaser Eduardo.

Mint Lane did not set the world on fire, but was not completely terrible either with 58% winner to runner and 2.6% SW to runner, although his other two stakes-winners came in Perak and a Listed Albury Gold Cup winner, so Queman is the best of them by light years!

Advertisement

He is the first foal of a minor winning mare by AJC Derby and Epsom winner Clangalang and there is no Black Type in this family until you get to fourth dam Fashion Fun, a Listed winner by Arch Sculptor (GB).

The $750,000 Group I MRC Futurity (1400m) added another trophy to the cabinet of Mr Brightside (NZ), whose sire Bullbars is a half-brother to the horse he defeated Pericles, read about him here.

Like Queman, Mr Brightside is also the best by a country mile among three SW’s sired by Godolphin bred Bullbars, who went to stud in New Zealand and has 62% winners to runners and 2.9% SW to runner.

On the female family front, Mr Brightside does not lack for class with his grand-dam a half-sister to dual Group I winner Foxwood from the Delia’s Choice branch of the famed Taiona family which was flying high in the 1980‘s thanks to Sovereign Red and Gurner’s Lane.

The $400,000 Otaki Maori Stakes (1600m) was won by quality mare La Crique, who was claiming her second G1 win, read about her here.

La Crique is the lone G1 winner among six stakes-winners for Monsun stallion Vadamos (Fr), who shuttled to New Zealand before his sale to Coolmore as a National Hunt sire. He is listed on their National Hunt roster for 2024 at a fee of €5,000. Vadamos has had runners in both hemispheres and has 52% winner to runner and 2% SW to runner.

She is from a daughter of Dubai Destination, who has proven to be a far better broodmare sire than a sire with 6.6% SW to runner in that department with his daughters producing 56 SW’s and seven are G1 winners including Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip.

La Crique also goes back to a top class European family with her third dam G2 winner Whitehaven and her grand-dam Lulowrth Cove is a three-quarter sister to the dam of Australian Group and SW’s Samara Dancer, Éclair Big Bang and Black Sail.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Golden Rose Colts – Sires of the Future
The $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose (1400m) this Saturday offers the winner far more than prizemoney and assuming it’s a colt he is given a golden ticket to a commercial stud career, so let’s take a look at this year’s contenders, who would you want on your stallion roster in 2026?
Invincible Filly Snares $100,000 Inglis Bonus
The least expensive filly by champion sire I Am Invincible sold at Inglis Easter in 2024, Wear the Crown always looked to have been well bought at $260,000 by Seib/Racing / Champion Thoroughbreds and she set about repaying her purchase price at Goulburn on Thursday.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Richard Johnston has bred some very good horses under his Bylong Park banner including triple Group I winner Think It Over and an Anders three year-old he bred and races was an eye-catching debut winner at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
La Dorada Chasing Redemption at Valley
Last season’s champion NZ two-year-old La Dorada will be out to prove her ability against her Australian counterparts on Friday night when she contests the Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.
Breeding to Win - 2025 Manikato Stakes
Racing at The Valley on Grand Final Eve in Melbourne - the southern capital doing what it does best, bringing people together in celebration of sporting greatness!
Sires With Winners - Thursday September 25
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Horse Trading Stock Issues to Avoid
One of the key areas in thoroughbred taxation is accounting for trading stock and ensuring the tax closing value is properly ascertained. You’d be quite surprised of the enormous difference to the tax position of any racing player where trading stock problems occur.
Inglis Confirm Skybird for Everest Slot
Inglis is thrilled to confirm G1 winner Skybird (Exosphere) as our representative for the running of the $20m The Everest.
Aquis Welcome First foals for Young Gun Officiating
A fast Group winning sprinter by Breeders Cup Classic winner Blame, Officiating (USA) was carefully selected by Aquis Stallions following a global headhunting mission to secure an outcross stallion for Queensland and his first foals are arriving this spring.
€1.9million Sale-Topping Colt Wins G3 Somerville Stakes
The Group III Somerville Stakes (7f) was run at Newmarket overnight with the Godolphin blue carried by exciting Night of Thunder colt Distant Storm, who they purchased for a sale-topping €1.9million at the Arqana May Breeze Up Sale earlier this year.