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When it comes to delving racing genetics and understanding what sets apart exceptional lineage from another, one can’t help and wonder what individuals are responsible. That is the question we aim to unravel.
The lineage of a stallion encompasses both triumphs and setbacks, however, it is vital not to underestimate the extraordinary individual.
The Historic Hooves
The yearling colt by Swynford out of Blanche. 
Through an injury, this colt could not be submitted at the July Sales at Newmarket, and was included in the December Sales of that year.
Many thought he would not stand the strenous preparation required by a racehorse, and he fell to the bid of 730 guineas made by Richard Dawson (seen below) who later trained for H.H. the Aga Khan. Named Blandford, he raced only a few times but managed to win the Princess of Wales Stakes at Newmarket, and other races worth 3,668 pounds. Though a good horse, his racing carrer did not presage a brillant stud career, but Dawson retired him to his Cloghran Stud near Dublin, and there he proved himself one of winning sires five times, and set up an all-time English record in 1934 of 75,707 pounds in stakes won by his stock. In addition, he sired four English Derby winners in a comparatively short stud career – Bahram, Blenheim, Windsor Lad and Trigo. It is one of the disappointments of our breeders that, through the sale of Bahram, Blenheim and Mahmoud (son of Blenheim) to the U.S.A., the early illness and demise of Windsor Lad and other misfortunes, we lost much of Blandford’s male line, our dominant classic staying blood….} The Horseman’s Year 1953
{Franco Varola excerpts – The breaking of classic unity, which occurred in the Swynford line (Blandford’s sire) during WW II, and from which never quite recovered, was certainly the most dramatic happening in the Thoroughbred breed during this century, and it is symbolic of the crisis in Western Society which was precipitated by the corresponding political events. In the space of a few years, an impressive chain of events took place which it would have been impossible even for the keenest soothsayer to predict: (as follows)
- the forced sale by the late Aga Khan of Blenheim, Bahram and Mahmoud to America
- the failure of Trigo at stud
- the inconsistency of the produce of Sansovino, Swynford’s only Derby winning son
- the inability of Windsor Lad to carry on stud duty (*note – Panaslipper (Ire)
- the forced removal of Brantome from France during World War II
- the substantial inability of Blenheim-line sires (other than Mahmoud) to re-impose classic prepotency on the other side of the Atlantic
- the eventual emerigence of Donatello II as a sire of stout and professional horses, rather than brilliant and classic as might have been hoped, possibly a late vindication of the opinion of Blenheim’s trainer who regarded this horse as more stout than classic.
- the inability of Gualicho, Bahram’s most impressive grandson in South America (by the Druid) to breed on, a border case between shy breeding and sterility.
- the sterility of Assault (by Bold Venture by St Germans, Swynford male line), added to sterility of Twenty Grand by St Germans.
Franco Varola states: the belief that 🐴Blandford was the supreme classic sire🐴 of the Thoroughbred {…..} even after the exploits at stud of Nearco, Nasrullah, Hyperion and Ribot.}
Blandford created his own classic talent almost entirely by himself…
Varola
The Blandford Accolades’ to his Progeny
- Athford (IRE) best 2yr old colt – exported to Japan
- Badruddin (FR) exported to Argentina – supreme genetic ‘monster’ influence
- Bahram (exported to Argentina)
- Blue Skies (family 5-g D1b)
- Bokbul (FR) stolen WW II
- Bantome – French triple crown champion, 3x leading sire
- mare, Campanula – French 2yo champion filly
- Dalmary (family 5h)
- mare, Harina (IRE) 2nd dam Tulyar, winner of 5 G.1
- Harinero Irish Derby & St Leger winner & sire
- His Grace, Coronation Cup winner. Sire of Hattons Grace a pony-sized individual and champion hurdler.
- Isolater exported to US when young, multiple handicap US winner
- mare, Kyloe – 1000 Guineas winner Ireland
- Midstream – imported to Australia, a high-class racer over sprint and miler distances
- mare, Mistress Ford -French multiple G1 winner
- Pasch, sire (n.b. 3rd dam sire to Verbatim (USA)
- Primero – Irish Derby and Irish St Leger winner, exported to Japan
- mare, Radiant (fR) full sister to Windsor Lad, English champion juvenile filly
- Trigo – English champion 3yo male
- mare, Udapipur – Oaks winner and full sister to Umidwar
- Umidwar leading broodmare sire & foundation sire jumpers & sportshorses (7th dam sire of What A Winter (SAF) Equus champion sprinter & Equus older male champion)
- Windsor Lad
Today, Blandford’s male line continues by stallion sons and grand-sons of Monsun – his sire Kongisstuhl (GER) has 5×5 Blandford from a #family5-H.
Monsun – if that element of his (Blandford) pedigree was deemed unfashionable upon his retirement, his standing as an outcross certainly later became an asset. (Full Monsun article here)
– Blandford male-line contemporaries are:
Some in Tieme (BRZ) U.S. G3 winner, Champion 3yo Colt in Brazil – https://www.pedigreequery.com/some+in+tieme (Standing in Uruguay) Article here.
G3 winner in Brazil – Mano de Piedra (BRZ) pedigree
French juvenile champion, G1 winner @ 2yo – Ultra, standing in France
Monsun son – Vadamos, an international performer @ 1600m – 2400m. Pedigree. Stands in New Zealand @ Rich Hill , & Coolmore
🐴Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist and a stakes performer producer from his 2 year old crop. Protectionist – stallion news here.
(we further note the Blandford male line (an Alycidon line) may still continue in Argentina (?) as current progeny (February 2023) perform. ie Wave Seattle (ARG) by the stallion Seattle Fitz (Fitzcarraldo ARG) as seen below
What influential factor which contributed extraordinary? The mit.DNA haplotype reveals D1b
D1b haplotype represents currently only around 2% of the breed, and was less than that until relatively recently, it’s remarkable that four male lines of Blandford have been extended through horses from that branch. Full Article Below.
As the Blandford signature re-establishes….it strongly suggests that a genetic explosion is in store with proviso it is calculated well. 👇👇👇👇💥
The outstanding reine-de-course broodmare 🐴Allegretta (5×3 Bahram)
🐴Kind, dam of Frankel – 5th dam by Persian Gulf by Bahram
🐴Phoenissa (5×5 Blandford) dam of Lorenzaccio (Klairon)
Reine-de-course Mare – 🐴Pocahontas 3rd dam by Blandford.
The enduring Blandford legacy carries forth, as it finds expression and sustenance through the generations of Monsun’s descendants, diligently upholding to the optimal breeding of a champion.
A D1b Haplotype relationship
Note – D1b members are families to 5g and 5h.. This appears to be a deep-rooted error, which appears to stem from the 5g/5h foundation mare . The 5g and 5h branches descend from two different daughters of Miss West. (Credit Reference here, as below). There is plus a D1b to family 38 which appears extinguished – however ‘log’ it significance. D1b has jeju, icelandic, shetland, norwegian fjord ancestral breeds to profile a metabolic efficiency to colder climate. The influence of family5h or D1b can be viewed to the New Zealand bred mare La Crique by Vadamos – 4×5 Nureyev, Sadlers Wells, Konijsstuhl.
German bred sire Waldgeist is another german line distaff and family 5-h.
The Dubawi colt, Dubawi Legend now standing as a sire has the family5-h (D1b) template thru dam distaff Lovely Pass (IRE) & with Topsider (USA) to Classic Cliche (IRE)
Helpful Refences:
Typology of the Racehorse – Franco Varola
TB heritage history @ Blandford – https://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Blandford.html
The Thoroughbred Link 