Talented three year old Wind And The Lion (Written By) made a welcome return to form when he claimed the second stakes win of his career in the Listed HG Bolton Sprint 1200m at Bunbury yesterday and comes from a famous female family steeped in history .
With early favourite Toropa (Toronado) withdrawn, a field of nine contested the winter sprint feature on a track which had improved to a soft 6 after last week’s drenching - but all afternoon jockeys were steering their mounts down the middle and outside of the straight in search of better ground.
Wind And The Lion started a firm favourite for punters and was revved out of the gates by William Pike, who drove last season's Placid Ark Stakes winner forward.
The champion jockey was chasing a hat trick of wins and his fourth of the day, and he was making sure Wind And The Lion had his mind on the job.
The Sean and Jake Casey trained three year old was coming back in distance from the 1600m of the Belmont Guineas, where he led well into the straight but faded late in the piece.
It has been a slightly frustrating preparation for The Wind And The Lion with a first up second over 1000m at Ascot in May followed by three good but unplaced runs - the last two at stakes level - but dropping back in distance did the trick!
His main rivals were considered to be the very genuine Rockin’ Rupert ( Winning Rupert) who was resuming off a sixteen length trial win! and last year's Beaufine / HG Bolton runner up Man Crush (Manhattan Rain), also first up.
Quality mare Baby Paris (Playing God) with the blinkers removed for this second up assignment was kept very safe.
But when the gates opened it was last year's Beaufine Stakes winner the eight year old Puli (Dick Turpin) who went to the front with Phanta (Gingerbread Man) who won this race in 2023, in close attendance.
Mood Swings (War Chant) and Gemma's Son (Snippetson) were up there, with Wind And The Lion behind them getting cover. Rockin’ Rupert went back from the wide gate and Baby Paris immediately dropped out to last.
As things began to heat up Vast Art (Flying Artie) commenced a wide run and Winning Rupert hooked out to make a move. Baby Paris was still last and struggling to pick up as Phanta swept to the lead in the straight.
The field all made for the wide running with the old boy Puli sticking to the rail on his lonesome and fighting on valiantly. Wind And The Lion was momentarily in an awkward position looking for clear air.
But Pike was fully in control of proceedings and calmly steered his mount home. The son of Written By responded gamely to his determined urging and duly went to the line for a classy half length win.
Vast Art had circumnavigated the field and covered plenty of ground, but kept coming to take second in a brilliant first up performance for the son of Flying Artie!
This victory was an overdue return to form for The Wind And The Lion, who created a big impression when he bolted in over 1000m on debut and won the Placid Ark at only his third race start. He also placed in the Listed Ernest Lee Steere Classic 1400m in his first preparation.
Wind And The Lion advances his career record to three wins and two placings from ten starts and $425,115 in earnings.
Raced by Wally Daly, the horse was a $62,500 buy for Shaun Nolen at the 2023 MM Gold Coast Book 2 from the draft of Riverdene Stud.
He next appeared at the 2023 MM Gold Coast 2YOs In Training where he was offered by JSC Thoroughbreds and purchased by Hancock Quality Bloodstock (FBAA) for $200,000.
The good looking gelding is one of six stakes winners sired by Widden Stud's G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By.
Another is Ripcord who won the Placid Ark in 2023 and went on to place in a G1 Winterbottom Stakes at three - Wind And The Lion might be another by the sire to contest WA's premier sprint if his career continues on its current trajectory!
Bred by Riverdene Stud, Wind And The Lion is sadly the only foal from his winning dam Mandalong Sera, a daughter of More Than Ready's Golden Slipper winner Sebring - a stallion who had the pedigree to become an elite broodmare sire and has more than fulfilled that promise.
Mandalong Sera’s four time winning half sister Queen's Kiss (French Deputy) is the dam of G1 Toorak Hcp winner Attrition by Churchill, who also won the G2 Hill Stakes and placed in the G1 Australian Guineas at three with current earnings over $2.3million.
Royal Rumble by New Approach out of Queen's Kiss won the Listed CS Hayes Memorial Cup and placed in a further two stakes races.
Wind And The Lion's second dam is the Danehill daughter Queensgate and thus her daughter Mandalong Sera was bred 5m x 3f to the great son of Danzig.
His third dam was the Golden Slipper placed Bluebird daughter Loving Cup, grand dam of stakes winners Hoss Amor (General Nediym) and Celeris (Fusaichi Pegasus).
Loving Cup's stakes winning half sisters Laudemio (Alzao) and Vintage Dance (Salmon Leap) also bred on most successfully - the former became grand dam of G1 winning 2YO Sizzling by Snitzel now at stud, and the classy Masthead.
Masthead was sired by Written Tycoon and was a G1 placed 2YO in Australia before being exported to Singapore where he had a very successful sprint career.
Vintage Dance became dam of Queensland’s iron horse Pittance (Snippets) a winner of three Eyeliner Stakes and two QTC Lightning Hcps.
Loving Cup had two more half sisters who were broodmares of note - Battonage by Kenmare was unplaced but produced the stakes winning filly Fullazz to Redoute's Choice and she is the dam of So You Think's G1 winner and promising young sire D'Argento.
The unraced Prunotto (Persian Heights) became dam of stakes winning sprinter Shy Hero (Last Tycoon).
These quality producers were all daughters of the Lindsay Park matriarch Estate Label by the stud's champion sire and great broodmare sire Without Fear.
There is consistent production of fast, extremely durable black type performers from this family, which traces to the taproot mare Chand Beebee (fam 5). Chand Beebee by Royal Hampton was bred by Queen Victoria and foaled in 1890.
The blueblooded two year old filly left the Royal Stud for the long sea voyage to Australia, tasked with not only surviving the perilous journey but with vastly improving the colonial racing stock.
Chand Beebee did both and she proved to be a fine producer, particularly of fast and classy fillies.
Her best daughter Chantress won the Newmarket Handicap, while Bee Bee won the Maribyrnong Plate and Baw Bee the AJC Breeders Plate.
Then - at the venerable age of eighteen - the old girl sprung a big surprise when she foaled a colt, Piastre, who went on to win the 1912 Melbourne Cup!
Notable descendants of Chand Beebee are many but include the great champion Amounis ( Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, two Epsom Hcps), Garrio (Cox Plate), Runnymede (NZ Derby), Tidal Wave (Rosehill Guineas), Caithness (NZ Oaks), Prince Standard ( VRC Derby, Rosehill Guineas), Gold Script (NZ Champion 2YO and 3YO). Wenona Girl (Golden Slipper, 11 Group One wins), Emblem (VRC Sires Produce), Farnworth (AJC Champagne Stakes, 2nd Golden Slipper), Visit (Toorak Hcp) Anyone Home (Karrakatta Plate). Kinjite (Spring Champion Stakes, Epsom Hcp), Live It Up (Flight Stakes) and Umah (Karrakatta Plate).
Stallions from this family have had a pronounced filly bias and often become successful broodmare sires.
The Chand Beebee family was in the headlines with descendant Response ( Charge Forward) winning the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and G1 Robert Sangster Stakes before producing a G1 Golden Slipper winning daughter Estijaab (Snitzel).
The 2011 G1 Golden Rose winner Manawanui also descended from Chand Beebee.
When we look at the pedigree of The Wind And The Lion a few obvious linebreeding patterns stand out.
Most obviously is the concentration of family 16-g blood and underpinning it is Written By's x5f,5m duplication of Blue Hen Hopespringseternal (Buckpasser).
It's an all-pervading influence for Written By, coming through the great broodmare sire Miswaki and his half sister Hope For All, ancestress of his damsire Tobougg - while his own wider family is also 16.
Wind And The Lion's dam is x 2 Danehill and the legendary stallion’s dam was also bred on a Petition (16-g)) / Buckpasser cross.
Petition son Runnymede is carried by Barathea.
Wind And The Lion's damsire More Than Ready is tail male to Southern Halo 16-g - by Danehill’s close relative Halo and bred 4f x5f to Almahmoud, as Danehill is bred x2 to her daughter Natalma - and is out of a mare by Buckpasser's best son Woodman.
The genetic interplay continues with Sebring contributing sex balancing lines of Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector via daughters.
Wind And The Lion's sixth dam Sherry Label is bred to Blue Hens Friar's Daughter 5mx 5m x 4m via her son Dastur by Solario (sex balanced ) and his half brother Bahram.
Humour, the ancestress of Written By is bred to Solario 5f x 4m,4m including through Dastur and Written Tycoon himself was out of Viveza, bred x 2 to Solario.
Sherry Label was additionally bred x 2 to the Blue Hen Bridgemount, dam of the great NZ broodmare sire Foxbridge.
Wind And The Lion's ability is a testament to the practice of linebreeding to the best matrons in the breed!
Written By stands at Widden this spring at a fee of $22,000
