Pedigree Watch – G1 and G1 Potential

Last Saturday provided Australian racing fans with a bewildering array of 15 Black Type events spread across four states, so with a newly minted Group I winner and a couple of other horses we see as having G1 potential, a closer look at the pedigrees got me thinking.

The $1.5million Group I WATC Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) delivered the sort of epic battle us racing tragics live for and Libertad got there in the last stride to ruin the Overpass fairytale, read about him here.

Libertad is the second G1 winner for Russian Revolution, who is one of those stallions given a massive opportunity and lauded as the next big thing before failing to deliver at the level anticipated, which is why his service fee has dropped from a high of $88,000 in 2023 down to $33,000 this year.

Libertad is from his second crop conceived at a fee of $55,000 and if you want a quick recap of how his career has unfolded to date the table below tells the story and does raise the potential of a rebound in popularity.

Russian Revolution (Foaled 2013)  

The two year-olds and yearlings by Russian Revolution hold the key to his future fortunes and already he has a nice winner in Seeiaye, seen as the top seed for the Snowden stable leading towards the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Back to the dam of Libertad in Electric Charge and she is the fourth mare by Charge Forward to produce a G1 winner and those other elite horses are Sunlight, She Will Reign and Estijaab, the first filly was a champion and the latter two are Golden Slipper winners.

Is it any wonder yearling buyers love seeing Charge Forward in a pedigree!

Libertad is another great example of quality Kiwi staying blood being updated by Australian speed to produce a sprinter.

Grand-dam Miss Bussell was a sprinting stakes-winner, but she was trained by Gai Waterhouse, so of course was stretched out in distance and was third in a Queensland Derby, while her dam Lurestina won the Group I Auckland Classic at 2000m and was second in the Auckland Cup.

The $750,000 Group II MRC Zipping Classic (2400m) had the potential to be a very poor renewal given it’s now being run so close to summer, but it was saved from mediocrity by a proper G1 horse in First Infantry Man (IRE) having a throw at the stumps beyond his usual distance range and the emergence of a rising star stayer in She’s a Hustler, read about her here.

She’s a Hustler has the impressive record of seven wins and four seconds from 11 starts which tells you something and a look at her conformation and physique tells you another… she’s class.

She is the fourth SW for Victoria Derby winner Ace High, who is by that very influential Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral, who has founded quite the sire dynasty in Australia through his sons So You Think, Toronado (IRE) and Dundeel, who also now has sons at stud.

Her dam sire Bernardini shuttled to Australia for Darley for eight seasons, so we know plenty about him and it’s positive.

Bernardini has sired the dams of 129 SW’s worldwide highlighted by 21 Group I winners that include this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and also Australian Derby winner Angel of Truth.

Her grand-dam Zirna was a G1 winner in New Zealand at 1600m that ended up Singapore Horse of the Year in 2003, which would indicate an iron constitution and she also produced seven winners at stud headed by G3 winner Crafty Irna, who won up to 2400m.

One suspects Grahame Begg may have only scratched the surface of She’s a Hustler.

The $400,000 MRC Whispering Angel Melbourne Classic (2000m) is a new race run for the first time at Caulfield and carried no Black Type, but the winner Different Gravy got that at his previous start at Flemington, read about him here.

One of four SW’s this spring for 2020 European Horse of the  Year Ghaiyyath (IRE), who along with Too Darn Hot is doing a lot to raise the awareness and appreciation of the Dubawi sireline in this part of the world.

He is the first foal of unraced Godolphin bred mare Venerated, who was sold through Inglis Digital for just $6,000. She comes from a skinny branch of the My Gold Hope (triple G1 winner) female family through her stakes-winning daughter Blue Storm that gave Godolphin their G1 Thousand Guineas winner Flit and also Champion 2YO and 3YO Colt Broadsiding.

Broadsiding is the best to date for Too Darn Hot, so the Dubawi sireline has already hit the G1 target with this family and might do it again in the autumn with Different Gravy.