WAR FRONT/PULPIT WAS A PREDICTABLE NICK

  • Posted: August 25, 2013  by Alan Porter   -  
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While there is no doubt that nicks tend to run in sire lines, we’ve also often found it profitable to consider the dam of a stallion when attempting to predict potential crosses. For example, when Smart Strike retired to stud, we noted that he was a half brother to champion

FASIG-TIPTON SARATOGA REVIEW

  • Posted: August 19, 2013  by Alan Porter   -  
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There is a French saying that translates as something like “the more things change, the more they say the same.” Plenty has changed in the macro- and micro-economic climates since last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, but despite the various undercurrents, as far as numbers sold, totals, and average, we

VALUE FOR MONEY AUSTRALIAN SIRES

  • Posted: July 30, 2013  by Alan Porter   -  
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Wherever in the world you’re breeding, the search for value goes on, and like we did yesterday with New Zealand sires, today we’ll take a look at some Australia sires that we think fall into that category. Choisir (AUS) (by Danehill Dancer) strikes us as incredible value at Aus$27,500 when

GALILEO/DANEHILL REVISITED

A little over two years ago, we looked at the cross of Galileo with mares by Danehill. This was fast becoming a European mega nick, having—in the space of three weeks—been represented by Frankel, who had just taken the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) in breathtaking style; Golden Lilac, successful in

A KEY ANCESTOR FOR ENCOSTA DE LAGO

  • Posted: June 9, 2013  by Alan Porter   -  
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  While he is now considered an ‘elder statesman’ of the Coolmore Australia stallion roster, there can be no doubt that Encosta de Lago is one of the premier stallions standing in Australia this year. The son of Fairy King has amassed a sensational record at stud with 6.32% SW

KENDARGENT LOOKING GOLDEN

  • Posted: June 4, 2013  by Alan Porter   -  
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The victory of Snow Bell in the Prix des Lilas at Chantilly on June 4, credited the young French sire Kendargent with his sixth individual stakes winner from his first two crops. Kendargent’s start as a sire has been a lot more impressive than his early career as a runner.

MONSUN SEASON

  • Posted: May 31, 2013  by Alan Porter   -  
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It’s no secret that the late German stallion, Monsun – who died in September, 2012, at the age 22 – was an outstanding sire. However, even by his standards, he had exceptional day on Sunday, with five-year-old Maxios taking the Prix d’Ispahan (gr. I) and three-year-old filly, Silasol, capturing the

A CLASSIC CASE OF COINCIDENCE?

The interpretation of thoroughbred pedigrees is no simple matter. With the multi-factorial elements that might be considered including nicks, inbreeding, linebreeding, the positions of ancestors relative to one another, the relationship of the pedigree to the female line, and the class of the individuals involved. Given the volume of the

FRANKEL AT STUD: FINDING MATES FOR A HORSE WHO COMBINES THE DOMINANT SIRE LINES OF HIS ERA

For Europeans at least, Frankel, redefined the definition of greatness as far as the thoroughbred is concerned. His magnificent 14 race career saw him crowned the champion of his generation at two, three and four, and head the World Thoroughbred rankings in 2011 and 2012. More telling is that the

EXTENDING THE LINE

  • Posted: May 5, 2013  by Alan Porter   -  
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The results of the two colt’s classics in the U.S. and England this weekend are notable in that they were both won by horses who offer the opportunity to extend the leading classic distance lines in their respective countries, those of A.P. Indy and Sadler’s Wells. A.P. Indy, despite his