sire lines
The ups and downs of international sire lines
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N 1981, the year in which his cornerstone book “The Classic Racehorse” was published, the late Peter Willett penned an article which we reprinted in the June-July issue of International Thoroughbred in which he pondered how a relatively small number of sires have wielded a disproportionate influence on
UREYEV, as we have mentioned in the earlier parts of this series, was a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells, and he was a very good stallion without reaching the heights of his close relative. He didn’t have the same success as a sire of sires as Sadler’s Wells, but has an important enduring line via Polar Falcon and Pivotal to Siyouni, who already has one French Derby (and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe) winner Sottsass at stud, with another, this year’s star St. Mark’s Basilica, in line to join him. Storm Bird’s son Storm Cat started at a modest stud fee when he retired in 1988, but by the early years of the new century his asking price had soared to $500,000. His best racing son the “Iron Horse” Giant’s Causeway has had a major impact in Europe through Shamardal and his son Lope De Vega, both of whom have promising young sons at stud. In the US, Giant’s Causeway earned three leading sires’ titles, but hasn’t had an outstanding stallion son, although Not This Time made a very promising start with his first two-year-olds in 2020. Instead, on that side of the Atlantic, the
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the development of the thoroughbred. In a four-part series, Alan Porter has been discussing how pedigrees, sire lines and genetic knowledge have developed since Willett’s work and in this article, part three, he charts the rise and falls of sire lines across the globe
Storm Cat line has a more surprising flagbearer via Into Mischief, who descends from Storm Cat through Harlan and Harlan’s Holiday, both of whom died prematurely. Into Mischief did win the CashCall Futurity (G1) at two, but started at a very modest fee. The now 16-year-old stallion has enjoyed a near-uninterrupted rise, and carried off the leading sires’ title in both 2019 and 2020, represented by the Horse of the Year, Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) victor Authentic in the most recent of those years. Another international branch of the Storm Cat line, which might have a bright future, is that of the prematurely deceased Scat Daddy, who was by the “world-champion” two-year-old Johannesburg, who is by Storm Cat’s son Hennessy. Scat Daddy’s sons at stud include No Nay Never, who has made an exceptional start in Europe, andin the US the undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify, whose first crop are yearlings of 2021.
The surprise package
A more surprising branch of the Northern Dancer line that has established enduring
roots is that of Try My Best, a brother to the brilliant, but sub-fertile, El Gran Senor. Although he was an undefeated champion and Dewhurst Stakes (G1) winner at two, after a disappointing three-year-old season, Try My Best was relatively lightly-regarded when he retired to stud. He wasn’t particularly outstanding in that role either, but still managed to sire two sons who have existing sire lines, Last Tycoon and Waajib. Last Tycoon, a very good sprinter miler, had a good European stallion son in Marju, and a very successful son in New Zealand in O’Reilly. The horse who extended the line was the short-lived Iglesia, who is responsible for Written Tycoon, a Grade 2-winning sprinter, who has become one of the best speed sires in Australia, and has a red-hot young son in Capalist. Waajib was only a second-class performer, but has a thriving male-line that comes down through Royal Applause to Acclamation and his sons Dark Angel and now Mehmas. The Try My Best line is flourishing through Royal Applause (top, left), his son Acclamation (bottom, left) and his son Mehmas
