The first part of this article appeared last week and can be accessed here.

Viewing the catalogue through the prism of the dams of the lots, we find that as many as 77 are out of imported broodmares, while a number of others are out of performed Indian broodmares. The criterion for mentioning a particular lot in this preview is simple and strictly objective: either the dam must have won a “black type” race herself or the dam should have produced the winner of a “black type” race. On average, such mares tend to produce the best runners.

Since the lot numbers have been selected alphabetically – a new and welcome feature – it makes sense to review the lots in the same sequence.

The first Graded Stakes-producing mare is Air Star, dam of 4 winners incl. Fabulous Strike, winner of the Gr.3 Christmas Cup. She has a Net Whizz[USA] colt (Lot No. 11) in the Hazara Stud consignment. The next case of “black-type” in the first dam is Amorina, the Gr.3 Calcutta Oaks victress and runner-up to Moon Forest in the Gr.1 Calcutta Derby; she is already dam of 4 winners and has an Usha-bred son (Lot No. 14) by newcomer Speaking Of Which[IRE].

That brings us to Aracruz, a prolific breeder whose fourteenth foal is a colt (Lot No. 20) by Win Legend[JPN] – sire of last year’s Indian Derby winner, Hall Of Famer. The Dashmesh-bred offering is a half-brother to Herecomesthebabe, who earned his spurs in the Gr.3 Alcock Barb Stakes, and to five other winners. Just a couple of lots later, buyers will have the opportunity to procure a son of Arazan[IRE] from multi-Classic winner Attractress, heroine of both the Gr.2 Golconda Oaks and the Gr.2 Golconda 1000 Guineas. The Poonawalla Exhilaration Stud-bred colt is own-brother to the stakes-placed Dazzling Bay.

An own-brother to the very useful Brahmachari (6 wins and approx. Rs. 35 lakhs) is the March-foaled Chevalier[IRE] colt from the Ruia Stud Farm, who will parade as Lot No. 24. Their dam Avec Plaisir had annexed the Gr.3 Gool S. Poonawalla Million, following in the black-type winning footsteps of her half-sister Pout, whose successes came at rather a more exalted level – to be precise in the Gr.2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland. Another half-brother to Avec Plaisir, Ikaria, took home the Gr.3 Calcutta Champions’ Sprint Trophy.

The lightly-raced Awarding made only 5 starts in her solitary season of racing (2009-2010) but was most consistent, winning the Gr.3 Bangalore Juvenile Million, and placing in another couple of Graded Stakes. Her fifth foal, a colt (Lot No. 27) by Leitir Mor[IRE], could well step up to the big time as this is the family of Gr.1 winners Her Excellency and Bryce Canyon, tracing through the Indian Classic-winning Marchetta to the foundation broodmare of the same name.

Finally we come to a filly, a daughter of the champion sire Multidimensional[IRE], catalogued as Lot No. 37. Dam of this lot is Usha Stud’s got-abroad mare, Blue Ridge, who was a talented sort who might well have picked up a stakes event with a little bit of luck. Anyway she has more than made up by producing Kiara, winner of over Rs.55 lakhs including the Gr.3 Gool S. Poonawalla Million, with the latter’s full-sister Blue Sky earning brownie points through her daughter, Mahateji, triumphant in the Gr.2 Golconda Oaks in early January this year.

Equus Stud has invested heavily in breeding stock over the years and one of its early acquisitions was Pot Of Gold[IRE], closely related to Gr.1 winners Providential and Play It Safe. That imported mare’s high-class daughter Calorescence was admitted to the higher echelons of the Indian Turf when annexing the historic Gr.2 Calcutta Gold Cup and the last-named’s ninth offspring, a colt by Varenar[FR], is Lot No. 47.

After five unproductive years, the well-bred Château Beach, dam of the very well-performed Gr.3 winner Apache, has produced a foal. This is the daughter of Saamidd[GB] from the Hazara Stud draft that appears as Lot No. 55, and hails from the same family as Northern Dancer, Halo and Arctic Tern.

Few families have been as consistent as that descended from the imported Sharpen Up mare, Ideas And Trends[USA]. The inspiration behind her purchase was that excellent judge of horseflesh, the late Mr. S. Rangarajan of The Hindu, in association with an agent who shall remain nameless. Her grand-daughter, Dazzling Skill, is a proven broodmare herself as the dam of the Gr.3 Calcutta 1000 Guineas winner, Striking. The last-named’s own-brother will sport the Lot No. 72 badge in the Usha Stud rolling ring.

Lingwood Stud’s Fame Star ran up an incredible sequence of 7 consecutive victories in the years 2000 and 2001, which included the Gr.2 Calcutta Gold Cup and the Gr.2 Indian Champion Cup. All seven of her foals to race are winners, and the own-brother to Frankest (earner of some Rs.24 lakhs) by Declaration Of War[IRE] will come under the hammer as Lot No. 86.

Three lots later comes a colt by Leitir Mor[IRE] out of the stakes-winning Final Refrain[USA], earner of $273,840, and dam already of 2 winners. This Poonawalla-bred is inbred to Secretariat and is from the family of champion two-year-old Hoist The Flag. As Lot No. 92, the same group offers an own-sister to the outstanding juvenile at the Madras Race Club last year, namely Arazan[IRE]’s son Chief Of Command. Incidentally, both of these lots have been cross-entered at the Madras Auction Sale and may already have tested the waters of an auction ring.

If you are looking for a filly with stakes-winning performance in every generation then Lot No. 95 in the Poonawalla ring is your ticket. The early-foaled daughter of Arazan[IRE] is out of a Gr.2 Golconda Oaks winner, who is out of a Gr.1 Stayers’ Cup winner, herself a product of a multiple Gr.2 Classic winner! What’s more, the family traces to Mumtaz Mahal.

A tough family, nurtured chiefly in South India, descends from the Sam Hill-trained Golden Eve* who was imported into India around 1952. The tribe gained due reward for its consistency and soundness some six generations later through Kyles Of Bute and Glorious Breaker, both Graded Stakes winners. The latter is the dam here of an Arazan[IRE] filly, being sold as Lot No. 100 by Villoo’s Greenfield Farms.

Continuing with the Poonawalla offerings, we come across Lot No. 103, an Arazan[IRE] filly out of Indian 1000 Guineas victress Guest Connections, already dam of the high class Apache Sunrise. This is the Charenzaccio[FR] family that has given the Indian Turf the likes of Mystical, Divine Light and current star Castlebridge. The same sire has another daughter catalogued as Lot No.110, an own-sister to the high-class Bold Command and Star Councillor. Another of the 47 by Arazan[IRE] is the two-year-old half-brother to Incognito, successful in the Gr.3 Forbes Breeders’ Juvenile Fillies’ Championship. Lot No. 111 has been entered by the Poona Stud.

That brings us to the afore-mentioned “Blue Pages”. Every one of the 18 lots here deserves critical scrutiny purely because it has been nominated to this section.

The third, and final, part of this article will appear next week.