The Breednet Foal Gallery has been going for a long time and when exciting colt Anders won the Listed ATC Rosebud Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday there was something in his pedigree that immediately made a few bells ring in my head.
Bred by Arrowfield Stud, Anders is from Madame Andree, who is one of only three named foals born in Australia by Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem, who retired to stud in Japan.
Although fertile, he proved a very difficult breeder, becoming savage to handle and refusing to cover mares.
Throughout his career, War Emblem produced only 124 foals, 111 of which raced and 82 won including nine stakes-winners with his stakes-winner to runners strike rate of 8% revealing the tragedy of what could have been.
Of his three foals born in Australia, two returned to Japan and Madame Andree retired to stud unraced.
She has had three foals to race and all are winners with Anders the best and he is the fifth stakes-winner worldwide to be bred from a daughter of War Emblem.
Arrowfield Stud sent in her foal image back in 2009 to the Breednet Foal Gallery and she was a finalist that year in the Reader’s Choice Favourite Foal of the Year.
I have seen a lot of foal images over the years, but you don’t forget a War Emblem!
