by Les Young
Published: April 2017
WE BEGAN began this predictive series in Bluebloods in 2009 and each year since we have suggested 12 stallions whose daughters, subject to other qualities, are worth considering if you are looking to buy a future star producer of winners. Most leading broodmare sires of today were, or still are, among the most successful sires of winners as they generally receive good opportunities when retired from the track and take to stud strong female pedigrees.
Buying such mares by the best sires, particularly those with high level racing performance can be costly. However, if you are trying to find something worthwhile without a big budget there are still ample opportunities if you are prepared to make sensible compromises.
As a general comment, I believe you should always be looking for mares from strong female lines with black type close up, good conformation and as much racing performance as you can afford. Always remember, though, your selection of a stallion for the mare you acquire will be critical in determining your chances of breeding an outstanding racehorse.
Here is this year’s selection of possible future successful broodmare sires including some whose daughters should not cost big money.
CASINO PRINCE (AUS)
(Bay, 2003, by Flying Spur-Lady Capel by Last Tycoon (IRE))
Daughters of the consistently successful sire Casino Prince are well worth considering as potential broodmares. Casino Prince’s pedigree offers many pointers to his likely success as a maternal grandsire, he is a son of the excellent broodmare sire Flying Spur (Danehill), he is one of four black type winners for his stakes placed dam Lady Capel, his maternal grandsire is the excellent broodmare sire Last Tycoon and Kenmare, sire of his second dam Kew Gardens, is also an important sire of broodmares.
While most of Casino Prince’s stakes winners are males he does have four female black type winners in Casino Dancer, Fine Bubbles, Longport and Sookie. Mares by Casino Prince should be relatively easily matched with many of today’s stallions and should not cost a fortune to buy.
FASTNET ROCK (AUS)
(Bay, 2001, by Danehill (USA)-Piccadilly Circus by Royal Academy (USA))
Suggesting that twice champion sire Fastnet Rock is destined to also become an important sire of broodmares is hardly a stroke of genius given the opportunities he has been given in both hemispheres, especially as many of his best winners are fillies. In Australia these include Atlantic Jewel, Mosheen, Sea Siren, Driefontein, First Seal, Amicus, Irish Lights and Nechita, while in Europe he has left English Oaks winner Qualify, Diamondsandrubies and others.
Apart from his great sire Danehill, Fastnet Rock’s pedigree features a host of other stallions whose daughters have done well as producers, Royal Academy, Nijinsky, Marauding, Sir Tristram and Twig Moss. Major winners already out of Fastnet Rock mares include Omei Sword, New Predator, Chabaud, Tivaci, and Santa Ana Lane, so if you can find and afford derful sire she could prove to be a great buy.
HARD SPUN (USA)
(Bay, 2004, by Danzig-Turkish Tryst by Turkoman)
Danzig’s top class son Hard Spun, a Gr.1-winning sprinter who placed in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, was somewhat under appreciated when he shuttled to Victoria for Darley from 2008 to 2013 although he left around 500 foals and received the support of many well-related mares.
Now in Japan, Hard Spun’s best runner in Australia is the gelding Le Romain, but 13 other Australian black type winners came from his six Australian crops plus Ertijaal, winner in South Africa of the Cape Derby Stakes. Hard Spun, out of a stakes winner, comes from the strong American family of Little Current and other major winners, while his second dam is by the influential Roberto. Given the success of other Danzig sons as broodmare sires, Hard Spun, I believe, also has good prospects to do well in this sphere.
LOPE DE VEGA (IRE)
(Chestnut, 2007, by Shamardal (USA)-Lady Vettori, by Vettori (IRE))
The Champion Three Year-Old in France over middle distances in 2010, Lope de Vega, a useful juvenile, captured the classic Gr.1 double of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1600m) and the Prix du Jockey Club (2100m). This son of leading sire Shamardal from Storm Cat’s male line carries a powerful 3fx3m cross of the superbly bred sire Machiavellian (Mr. Prospector) and while he spent only four seasons on the shuttle from Ireland to Patinack Farm in NSW I feel he may leave a lasting legacy via his broodmare daughters.
French Fern, Man of His Word, Santa Ana Lane and Vega Magic are the only Australian stakes winners to date for Lope de Vega who continues to do well in Europe. Lope de Vega mares should make good mates for many Danehill-line stallions and should be buyable for reasonable prices.
MANHATTAN RAIN (AUS)
(Bay, 2006, by Encosta de Lago-Shantha’s Choice by Canny Lad)
As a son of Encosta de Lago, a champion sire and champion broodmare sire, Manhattan Rain appeals as a potential broodmare sire but his appeal doubles when it is realised this Gr.1-winning two year-old is also a half-brother to the great sire Redoute’s Choice, now also a leading broodmare sire in Australia.
While Manhattan Rain was a multiple black type winner at two years up to 1400m, he stayed further and was second to So You Think in the MVRC W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) when both were three year-olds. Of Manhattan Rain’s eight stakes winners the three best are fillies, Wild Rain, She Will Reign and Scarlet Rain, another pointer to this still young sire becoming a successful broodmare sire in the future.
Manhattan Rain, transferring to Blue Gum Farm in Victoria for the 2017 season, stood his first seven seasons at Arrowfield Stud in NSW where he received good numbers of well bred mares, so I suggest you look out for his daughters. His famous dam Shantha’s Choice is by a fine broodmare sire in Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad (Bletchingly) while the next two dams are by champions Nijinsky and Sir Ivor, other positive factors.
MAKFI (GB)
(Bay, 2007, by Dubawi (IRE)-Dhelaal by Green Desert)
Given a 130 rating by Timeform after winning the 2010 English 2000 Guineas-Gr.1 and a 1600m Gr.1 in France, Makfi shuttled to New Zealand’s Westbury Stud between 2011 and 2016 but sadly we are unlikely to see him again after his sale to Japan. His early crops in both hemispheres have yielded a good number of black type winners, headed by French classic winner Make Believe, ATC Oaks winner Sofia Rosa, Champion New Zealand Two Year-Old Marky Mark, this season’s stakes winning fillies Bonneval, Eleonora and Imposing Lass, plus Hursley and Raw Impulse.
With stallions such as Green Desert, Irish River, Sir Ivor and Val de Loir on his dam’s side, Makfi looks a great prospect to do well as a maternal grandsire. His outstanding sire Dubawi, from Mr. Prospector’s male line, will also help in making him successful.
RAISE THE FLAG (GB)
(Bay, 2005, by Sadler’s Wells-Hasili by Kahyasi)
Injured and unplaced at his only start, superbly bred Raise The Flag, a half-brother to leading European sire Dansili and six other stakes winners from famous producer Hasili, found a home at White Robe Lodge on New Zealand’s South Island where he followed two other non-performers with wonderful pedigrees in Mellay and Noble Bijou, who both became highly influential sires.
Raise The Flag’s sire Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) was one of Europe’s greatest ever sires of winners with 294 stakes winners and has achieved similar success as a broodmare sire. The first foals by Raise The Flag were only born in 2011 so it is too early for him to have any record as a maternal grandsire but the sire of 2017 TTC Tasmanian Oaks winner Parthesia and the 2017 Gore Guineas winner Raise You Ten is surely one to watch.
Daughters of Raise The Flag should be available at relatively low cost and most will also have stout female pedigrees, making them very suitable as mates for speed sires, particularly those from Danehill’s male line.
SEBRING (AUS)
(Chestnut, 2005, by More Than Ready (USA)-Purespeed by Flying Spur)
The big, rangy Sebring looks the right type to sire broodmares as well as top class winners and his growing list of stakes winners features a high proportion of females, usually an indication of future success as a broodmare sire. Sebring’s sire More Than Ready, his dam sire Flying Spur and Luskin Star, sire of his second dam Lady Moulin, are all very good sires of broodmares, so it is hard to see Sebring not continuing the sequence particularly as he is now receiving big numbers of superbly bred mares.
Champion sire Better Boy (My Babu) also appears in the female half of Sebring’s pedigree lending further strength. From Hail to Reason’s male line, Sebring passes on both speed and a degree of stamina, so he is likely to make a major contribution as a maternal grandsire in future seasons.
SNIPPETSON (AUS)
(Bay, 2001, by Snippets-Snowdrift by Polish Precedent)
Now standing in Western Australia after beginning his career at Widden Stud in NSW, Snippetson was a brilliant, stakes-winning sprinter but his 12 stakes winners include a number effective over middle distances such as Fast Clip, Kenjorwood, My Poppette, Rebelson and Vergara. Snippetson’s sire Snippets was one of the best broodmare sires of his time and he descends from a very strong female line, another quality likely to help him find success as a broodmare sire.
A stallion who never stood at a high fee, Snippetson has more than 900 living foals up to last season, so there should be no shortage of daughters. It is early days yet for Snippetson as a broodmare sire but at the time of writing his daughters have been represented by eight winners from 17 starters, headed by New Zealand stakes winner Zigwig (Zacinto), New Zealand stakes placegetter O’Rachael (Northern Meteor) and Niccanova (Nicconi).
