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BREEDING STATISTICS 2021-22 - PART 3

By Major Srinivas Nargolkar (Retd.) | 10 Nov 2022 |


To those with an eye of the future, who becomes the Champion Freshman Sire is of great anticipation.

CHAMPION FRESHMAN SIRE 2021-22

Rank Sire (Location) (Pedigree) Starters Winners Wins Stakes AE Index
1 Sanus Per Aquam[IRE] (Kunigal Stud)
 (b 2013 Teofilo - Fainne by Peintre Celebre)
27 12 18 Rs.1,63,59,969 1.52
2 Fiero[JPN] (Manjri Stud)
(br 2009 Deep Impact - Ruby by Danehill)
15 5 8 Rs.73,16,674 1.22
3 Cougar Mountain[IRE] (Nanoli Stud)
(b 2011 Fastnet Rock - Descant by Nureyev)
5 2 2 Rs.23,47,500 1.18
4 Shifting Power[GB] (Badal Stud)
(ch 2011 Compton Place - Profit Alert by Alzao)
10 1 1 Rs.8,99,870 0.23
5 Basem[GB] (Rolli Stud)
(b 2011 Pivotal - Gonbarda by Lando)
2 0 0 Rs.1,23,000 0.15

 

There were six new stallions whose progeny was seen for the first time on the Indian tracks in 2021-22. Sanus Per Aquam and Fiero, standing at major establishments and with a decent number of foals, were expected to vie for the honours and duly obliged by finishing 1-2. The honours went to Kunigal's Sans Per Aquam. He did have the greater number of starters to his credit but his AE Index was also better to justify his ranking. With two Classic winners, the fillies Shabelle and Victoria Punch, his task became a bit easier.

Well begun, as they say, is only half done; especially in racing.  Only eight Champion Freshman Sires have gone on to win The Champion Sire title in their subsequent years. Of those eight, only Malvado and an AE Index (1.18) which was lower than Sanus Per Aquam's 1.52 this year. Malvado, of course, went on to capture the Champion Sire crown more times than any other stallion in India so the Kunigal stallion has no reason to lose heart.

In their second year, stallions compete against established, proven sires. That is their real test. One other aspect also becomes significant. In the first year, a new stallion's progeny rarely races beyond 2000 m. How it fares over distances beyond 2000 m. is important. Sanus Per Aquam, who was bred by Mrs. J Bolger and trained by her husband Jim Bolger, won all his races at 1400 m. He did race five times beyond a mile but did not distinguish himself. He does have a full brother who won once over 2000 m. Their sire, Teofilo, was also bred by Mrs. Bolger and trained by Jim Bolger. Teofilo was unbeaten in his five races at 2, all over 1400 m. Retired to stud after an injury, Teolfilo has been a leading sire and his progeny wins over all distances. Twilight Payment, a son of Teofilo out of an Oasis Dream mare, won the Melbourne Cup over two miles.

Thus, one has to  keep an open mind of what the ideal distance of Sanus Per Aquam's progeny will be. It will be dependent on each individual. One thing that the young stallion is sure to get at Kunigal is plenty of Burden of Proof mares. Shabelle is out of a Burden of Proof mare. What the Sanus Per Aquam/Burden of Proof cross does is that it brings together Sadler's Wells, his full brother Fairy King and three parts brother Nureyev in the first five generations. A potent combination.

Fiero, the first son of Deep Impact to stand in India, did not quite start as well as envisaged. His best runner so far is Wordsmith, now located at Calcutta. His next three crops are bigger in size and he could be seen in a better light.

Two imported stallions, Shifting Power and Basem, were rather disappointing, producing just one winner between them. Shifting Power is owned by Bishan Stud but stands at Badal Stud while Basem had just two runners despite having 19 foals in his first crop.

It is always prudent to withhold a definitive verdict of young stallions. It is only after their first crops have completed their winter Classics that a tentative assessment should be made. We have the recent example of Air Support who started modestly but became a Champion Sire in his second year and also produced an unbeaten Indian Derby winner, War Hammer, in his next.

Rank Sire (Location) (Pedigree) Starters Winners Wins Stakes
1 Razeen[USA] (Usha Stud; died Feb 2011)
 (b 1987 Northern Dancer - Secret Asset by Graustark)
117 55 92 Rs. 6,07,15,199
2 Placerville[USA] (Poonawalla Farms; died Feb 2011)
(b 1990 Mr. Prospector - Classy Cathy by Private Account)
132 56 95 Rs. 4,93,63,080
3 Singspiel (Dalham Hall, England; died Jul 2010)
(br 1992 In The Wongs - Glorious Song by Halo)
32 16 28 Rs. 4,54,86,449
4 China Visit[USA] (Usha Stud; died Aug 2017)
(dk b/br 1997 Red Ransom - Furajet by The Minstrel)
82 31 43 Rs. 4,49,40,983
5 Multidimensional[IRE] (Usha Stud)
(b 2003 Danehill - Sacred Song by Diesis)
72 33 50 Rs. 3,98,79,690

 

Razeen had his first crop of foals in 1993; Placerville started his innings two years later. The two of them clashed regularly for the year's honours and Placerville prevailed 7-6 in their private match for the Champion Sire title. Both died within a few days of each other in February 2011. Even after they were no more, they have continued their duel through their daughters and vied consistently for the Champion Maternal Grandsire honours. Razeen had pulled away to a 8-2 lead but Placerville fought back with four Championships in the last five years to Razeen's one. This year, Razeen once again reasserted his superiority and the score now stands at 10-6 in the Usha Stud's stalwart. It has been said before but it bears to be repeated -- India has been fortunate to have had a son of Northern Dancer and a scion of Mr. Prospector going hammer and tongs at the top of the table for over twenty years.

It is not often that a stallion standing abroad breaks into the 'Top Five' of any table in India. The last one to do so was King's Best who was fifth in the Champion Maternal Grandsire table in 2015. Singspiel's third this year is hence somewhat special. He was the damsire of Zuccarelli and Eastwood who won three winter Derbies between them while his half-brother Rahy's daughter was responsible for the South India Derby winner Evaldo.

Usha Stud will be heartened to see three of its stallions in the Top Five. Razeen still has plenty of daughters at stud; China Visit has not been out of the Top Five for the last five years and Multidimensional broke into the high echelons for the first time. That bodes well for the future.

PAST THE POST

This was Sanus Per Aquam's first crop. By finishing as the Champion Freshman Sire, he has given a notice of his prowess and that alone is enough to ensure that how he fares in the coming years will be watched with interest. Equally interesting will be to observe how the Razeen mares do. They are not very young now and their numbers are bound to diminish rapidly. Razeen is the only stallion in India whose progeny has won more than 100 Classics. As a damsire, Salento's two Classics have taken his score to 88. He needs a dozen more  Classics to complete a unique century in each innings !