Best On Breeding - Melbourne Cup

Mark Smith - Sunday November 3

Few Australians would have heard of Sea King (GB) before his impressive win in the Group III Bendigo Cup, but the son of Sea The Stars has a pedigree linked to a part of Melbourne Cup history.

Click here for all Melbourne Cup five generation pedigrees if you wish to do your own  research.

Sea King makes a statement at his Australian debut (image Racing Photos)

Sea King's stakes-winning dam Pamona (Duke Of Marmalade) traces back to the influential mare Mrs Moss (GB), the dam of Japan Cup winner Jupiter Island, Gimcrack Stakes (UK) winner Precocious, Queen Mary Stakes winner Pushy, and Listed winner Krayyan.

Advertisement

Mrs Moss was the foundation mare for Lord and Lady Tavistock's Bloomsbury Stud. The daughter of Reform was a 2,100 guineas purchase as a six-year-old at the 1975 December Sales.

The High Line filly Pedestal was the only one of 12 starters for Mrs Moss, who failed to win. But she proved a significant influence in the Southern Hemisphere through three daughters, Worship (Irish River), Upstage (Quest For Fame), and Kowtow (Shadeed).

Worship is the granddam of stakes-winner and Group II-placed Slice Of Class (Guillotine), Upstage is the dam of the Group 1 winner and outstanding stallion Tavistock, and Kowtow is the dam of the fan favourite Precedence.

The son of Zabeel started in four Melbourne Cups for the Cups King Bart Cummings. The closest he came to winning was sixth at his fourth attempt behind Protectionist (GER).

The nearly $2,000,000 earner would be the last horse Bart Cummings saddled up in the Melbourne Cup.

Revving up for the first Tuesday in November (image Racing Photos)

Pedestal's half-sister Putupon (Mummy's Pet) is Sea King's fourth dam.

She left the Sun Chariot Stakes winner and stakes-producing dam Danceabout (Shareef Dancer).

Danceabout's half-sister Putout (Dowsing) left the Group III Premio Primi Passi winner Palanca (Inchinor), who produced the stakes-winners Prianca (Diktat) and Sea King's dam Pamona.

The daughter of Duke Of Marmalade was an accomplished racemare for Highclere Thoroughbreds.

She won two and placed in five of 14 starts. Her highlight came when winning the Listed John Smith's Silver Cup at York and placed in the Group II Royal Ascot Ribblesdale Stakes, Listed Saint-Cloud Prix Solitude, Listed Newbury Fillies' Trial and Listed York Lyric Stakes.

An 87,000 gns purchase for Barry Lynch / Heath House from the Highclere Stud draft in Book 1 of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Sea King (GB) won six races from 15 starts for Sir Mark Prescott.

Purchased by OTI Racing, the 6-year-old gelding was having his first start for Harry Eustace and his first stakes attempt when thrashing Berkeley Square by three-and-three-quarter lengths in the Bendigo Cup.

With Declan Bates unable to make the weight, Hollie Doyle has been handed an exceptional chance to follow in the footsteps of Michelle Payne, who won the Melbourne Cup on Prince of Penzance, which also started from the inside barrier.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.
North Pacific 2YO Ready to Win
Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole will head to Ellerslie with a quartet of runners on Saturday, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of Pacific Breeze in the Network Visuals 1200.
Inglis Ready 2 Race Entries Open
Entries for the Inglis Ready2Race Sale – Australasia’s most progressive 2YO Sale – are now open.
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 5
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
A Passion That Lasts a Lifetime
A passion for pedigrees and thoroughbreds is often one that lasts a lifetime and so it has been for one of the co-breeders of Bravery, who contacted me this week following our earlier and very well read story on current 2YO star Cool Archie.
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
New Winner for Bivouac
Godolphin have been  enjoying a winning run with their late season juveniles and it continued at Geelong on Thursday where Bivouac gelding Loving opened his account.
Breeding To Win - 2025 G1 Queensland Oaks
Unbeaten this preparation, Philia will be looking to emulate her half-sister Duais in winning the $1million Group I BRC Queensland Oaks (2200m) on Saturday, but a swarm of up and comers are nipping at her heels, so who are they?
Another Day, Another Stakes-Winner for Wootton Bassett
A homebred for Marc Chan, quality Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Green Impact closed out his juvenile season winning the Group II Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and he bounced back into the winner’s list at the same venue overnight.
Sea King Dominant in Bendigo Cup - Stakes Claim for Melbourne Cup
OTI Racing’s Sea King (GB) finished sixth in the Ebor Handicap at York, narrowly in front of the impressive Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator (USA), which proved the right form in Wednesday’s $500,000 Group III Apiam Bendigo Cup (2400m).