Two horses that won at Rosehill on Saturday have shown us that the pattern of double Danehill in pedigrees can be used to advantage if we look at a bigger picture and breed smarter.
Golden Slipper winner Farnan was featured in a recent Breednet story on the double Danehill cross in which we made reference to his pedigree and the other factors that are in play.
Farnan does have a double Danehill (3 x 4), but to my eye he’s probably a far better example of what has become quite a powerful nick between Redoute’s Choice and his sire sons combined with Street Cry.
That nick runs at 8.1% stakes-winners to runners and has produced Group I winners Trekking and Stay With Me as well as Group II winners Savatiano and now another Group I winner in Farnan.
His mother Tallow was a Group III winner and while Black Type is scarce in the next two dams, after that you get back to better quality and his sixth dam is Ursula Lauderdale (Ity), an Italian bred mare imported to Australia by Kingston Park’s David Hains.
She achieved fame and fortune as the dam of outstanding filly Lowan Star, an incredibly tough filly that was high class at two and at three won the AJC Oaks and Queensland Oaks. Lowan Star was trained by TJ Smith, whose daughter Gai is co-trainer of Farnan.
The other horse to win and fly the flag for double Danehill is French bred British raider Young Rascal, who was tough as teak in leading all the way and fighting back to win the Group III ATC Manion Cup (2400m) as his lead up to the Group I ATC Sydney Cup (3200m).
Speedy squib he is not.
By French Derby winner Intello from a tough German stakes-winner that won up to 2100m, he might have Danehill 3 x 3 in his pedigree, but it’s plain to see the staying influences in his pedigree have come out on top.
When assessing pedigrees that carry double Danehill, it’s wise to look at all other elements of the pedigree and how they might interact and importantly the soundness of the horses involved.
Most stallions that retire to a commercial stud have a proven race record that has stamped them as sound to compete at an elite level, but with mares that’s not the case, so look hard at mares retired as unraced or with limited starts as that’s usually an indication of unsoundness, poor temperament or lack of ability, none of those traits being something you wish to encourage.
That said, plenty of mares with such a race record go on to produce outstanding racehorses when mated to stallions that can improve on their shortcomings.
The ability to consistently identify what stallions will give their mares the best chance of success is what sets great breeders apart from lucky ones.
Smart breeders will increasingly look at ways to get the best from double Danehill and a look at the list of Australasian bred Group I winners bred this way might shed some light.
Farnan (Not a Single Doubt)
Beat the Clock (Hinchinbrook)
Guelph (Exceed and Excel)
Sunlight (Zoustar)
Alizee (Sepoy)
Bivouac (Exceed and Excel)
Verry Elleegant (Zed)
Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman (IRE)
Amphitrite (Sebring)
Seabrook (Hinchinbrook)
The Mission (Choisir)
Prompt Response (Beneteau)
Southern Lord (Stratum)
