Franco Varola saw the future as Growth Consumption, where mere few made for majority and the breeding by numbers would express amorphous challenges ahead. ➡️⬇️
The issue of the availability of the Y chromosome persists. From earliest developing phrases, the broader scale by type & types now presides to bare few. The rarity value considered lesser yet (thoughtfully) greater, as by comparison to a Darley Arabian scale.
The commercial bred further funnels toward same few stallions, accelerating a public dilemma.
By common-sense, the saturation and the over-saturation of a genetic threshold is what Varola with article above alludes overcooking the pot. Generally, science thesis makes for a genetic quality erosion however in-breeding model for deleterious alleles outcomes serves it own position.
By market dynamics, economics or otherwise, and with personal overview, it is fascinating to see what’s further developing out/within a pedigree, also with strong merit.
By this, it is analysing not to algorithm model linebreeding, but by appreciating ‘form’ to the forgotten. Additionally, it may be assumed these are the occurring trans-transposing genes.
We don’t yet fully appreciate emergence through and in another source.
Nature, however, compensates by locating unexpected sources of power and an unheralded racehorse achieves (new) stallion prominence.
The Developing Racehorse – what morphology principle?
Taking expertise from another, dressage school aligns ‘mechanics’ and function, carriage and balance: a deep look whether the horse can correctly access their hind end, the longissimus dorsi muscle and thoracic sling muscles to display symmetry of gait and purity of gait and a quality of movement which increases the horse’s soundness and longevity. Good horizontal balance transfers weight back toward the hindquarters, making the horse light and agile.
Serving functional, this is true inheritance and what individual(s) hinge into it for executing speed and stamina.
A phenotype study @Christmas Day (IRE) – – Christmas Day (IRE) & the Derby breeds. presented strain, Derring-Do descendant Nearco line (breeder, sire of sires) through Dante.
Dante was the outstanding racehorse of his generation; his excellence was honoured in 1958 when the York Racing Authority inaugurated the Dante Sweepstakes. He won eight of his nine starts. An exceptionally handsome brown, he was only a qualified success, signally failure to get any near him in racing ability. He was never the leading sire and the highest position he attained on this list was third place in 1954 and 1955, largely through his son, Darius, who was near the best of his age and winner in 1954 of the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes and third in the Derby, and in 1955 winner of the Eclipse Stakes. Darius was among the fifth of a total of seven crops of Dante. A handsome bay he raced on twenty occasions scoring nine victories. Stamina limitations restricted his career for he barely got one and a half miles. He proved the best of the three-year olds in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1954 when he finished thired place, ahead of Never Day Die and Arabian Nights.
credit – See How They Ran by Richard Ulbrich
The brilliant undefeated Nearco, had in his stallion career already produced New Derby Stakes winner in Dante (1942), the St Leger and Irish Derby win, Sayajirao (1944) and an Oaks and Irish Oaks winner, Masaka (1945). Via his sons, Nasrullah (1940) Royal Charger (1942) and Mossborough (1947) he was to prove himself the distinguished sire of sires. Nimbus (1946), winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and the Epsom Derby, (apparently) failed as a stallion. (Note Nimbus 1/2 brother to Grey Sovereign by Nasrullah by Nearco). Sire of Northern Dancer, Nearctic (CAN) was born 1954.
As astute breeders of animal husbandry ascertain two strains are All. Its evident that it is not alone to male line – Northern Dancer ➡️ Nearctic ➡️Nearco
Readers may further appreciate other genetic sources of Nearco (outside Nasrullah, Royal Charger, Nearctic) will feature to the Iffraaj son, Wootton Bassett (GB) dec. & Sea the Moon(IRE) & Camelot.
These, by example, ‘X’ types with #BT (Byerley Turk) Ahonorra (GB) his daughter Park Appeal (IRE) with @Nimbus (Nearco) distaff.
Time and time ‘dismissed’ or representee genetic strains are easily overlooked. And whilst thoroughbred breeding has certainly re-aligned itself to the Commercial entity product, it is without a doubt the natural genetic courses shall reoccur where nobody thinks.
Key Pedigree – Blakeney #BT Blakeney Horse Pedigree (#BT sire line Hethersett, noting Nearco daughter, Netherton Maid + Nasrullah by Nearco + Nebana daughter by Nearco. He raced 3 seasons and was a Champion British Sire of 2YOs.
When his sire Hethersett died in 1966, the breeding industry was yet to realise the vital loss to its ranks that it had sustained. In the short time that he was at stud, just two season, his two crops, which together numbered less than 48 runners, elevated him posthumously to third place on the list of leading sires in 1969 and to tenth position in 1970. Fortunately, in the year of his death, a son, Blakeney, the winner of the 1969 Epsom Derby was born. A medium sized, beautifully proportioned bay.
As swiftly as the opening appeared Blakeney, with quicksilver speed, burst through and in strides had the race won – a trait he was known for.
Blakeney – his winning performances were on good to solft, good and firm going. He stood 15.13/4 hands tall.
The capacity of a stallion to transmit racing ability is a mystery yet unsolved, and conceivably insoluble. Expectation and high hope in matters breeding have been a path to disillusionment, and “stud failure” is all too often the judgement handed down on a stallion who stud career has failed to match an illustrious racing career.
Richard Ulbrich
references credit, See How They Ran by Richard Ulbrich
(top right Blakeney & middle right Top Ville)
What of Top Ville (IRE) form ?
Al Wukair (#GA/GB) Diktat 2nd dam Park Appeal ✅- 3rd dam Top Ville ✅. He was transferred 2025, at Yeguada La Serreta Stud Farm and Valmodomus Farm Spain. Sire of note to G3 winner colt Khovikhov Horse Pedigree (FR) @ June 2026 – 1st Prix de la Porte Maillot (Fr-Gr3) 1400m
Credit References & chosen transcripts Richard Ulbrich, author.
His sire Camelot, the magnificent sire line to the one and only Montjeu.
Montjeu will best be remembered for his incredible wins in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes as well as his runaway victories in the French and Irish Derbies.
On the racecourse Montjeu, who was trained in France by John Hammond for Michael Tabor, won 11 of his 16 starts capturing the Prix du Jockey Club, Irish Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1999 and the following season produced one of the most impressive victories ever seen in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at.
Montjeu, the outstanding middle-distance racehorse who as a sire produced three Derby winners. His immense Montjeu electricity has a remarkable typology.
Montjeu Video | Facebook“if he was a human being, I’d describe him as an eccentric genius” John Hammond
Camelot’s dam Tarfah (USA) 3x Natalma through Northern Dancer & Danehill. Further the mare develops speed through Palestine/Fair Trial and Nasrullah being female family 9-c
…the Montjeu character by Sadlers Wells, to the dam Floripedes (FR) by Top Ville (IRE) – herself, 4×5 Prince Chevalier, akin to Varola classic strains pre-1980.
The Aga Khan’s High top colt Top Ville was considered to be the greatest French danger to Troy in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. As a two year old Top Ville had won three times and on his first outing as a three-year-old he beat the very useful Bellypha (Lyphard) by a half a length in the Prix de Guiche. Top Ville then won convincingly beating Sharpman and Irish River.
Mare side: Noting the sire line @Cape Cross influence distaff female family Sister Sarah14-c. The Cape Cross typology fathering Sea the Stars continues by siring his stamina ‘gold’ to mare Beauly. The dam is an outcross over 5 generations.
A mare whose credentials were racing average, she has the genetic material aplenty.
Her 6th dam, Deed by Derring-Do (GB) by *Darius is the sire line to Top Ville (IRE) + @Camelot, via Persiopolis (FR) 2nd dam by Darius, ie Camelot > 5×7 Darius.
*Derring-Do by *Darius by *Dante resurrected from dimming obscurity and the quality of his blood carried in his veins emerges as a powerful strain.
Derring-Do. Described as without any distinguishment, his lop ears earned him ‘quaint look’. In training he had a fiery temperament, strong constitution. Various setbacks his temperamental natured tempered with age and his training vigour resumed. racing over three seasons. He won on good, firm and soft going from distances 5 furlongs to 1 mile for 6 victories, 3x second and 3rd, twice over 14 races. He stood 15.31/2 hands tall. His son High Top won the Observer Gold Cup & 2000 Stakes, sire of Top Ville – Prix St Romain Prix de Conde, Prix du Jockey Club, Prix Lupin, Prix de Guiche.
The profile of Christmas Day is characterized by exceptional high-speed stamina, and there are several noteworthy individuals who exemplify remarkable consistency.
To note: Grey Sovereign by Nasrullah (post link) via Camelot distaff Persepolis & dam’s distaff Birch Creek & with Zeddaan to Montjeu.
On dam side, ancestress dam 🏆Vaya🏆 the granddam to Vatout > Bois Roussel (FR) plus via Cape Cross @ dam Park Appeal @ Herbager sire line Vandale (FR). On Sire side, Tennyson 2nd dam Montjeu. (n.b. Vaya > 4x4x5 Hermit + Beppo, an West Australian male line descendant + dam Waterhen (f.f. 3c) Haplotype A1a, it indicative non-TB crown, akin to arab/barb signature. Non-coincidentally – Northern Dancer’s distaff @3rd dam grand-sire Chance Shot (USA is of this family, f.f.3c/haplotype with Fair Play, the West Australian male line descendant ) (ref., science link Fig 3)
Montjeu, arguably the most credentialed son of Sadler’s Wells to shuttle to New Zealand left his mark with two top class milers, Wall Street and Tavistock – where Mettre En Jeu was a staying type.
Montjeu grandson: West Coast was New Zealand’s champion steeplechaser deceased & humanely put down after breaking a shoulder during running of Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase, 13-June-2026.
Phenotype is governed by the complexity of genotype, specifically in the case of hybrids. Which lines of the pedigree reflect morphological characteristics that contribute to a superior individual? The diversity of stamina and its availability form the basis of enduring genetics, prompting the inquiry into which traits may convey sustained potency.
Establishing geno influences been indicative of genuine high-pace speed has also the ‘characterizing’ type. Australian bred sire Starspannerbangled (sprinter) & 3rd dam sire Zamazaan (FR), stayer blood has that determinable factor.
Bred by the Aga Khan, Zamazaan was foaled in 1965 in France. He came to New Zealand for the 1970 breeding season and syndicated for a then record price.
Zamazaan did not race as a two-year-old, being a late maturing type, but at three and four he won five races, two of them stakes event. He was an out and out stayer, the shortest distance over which he won being 2400m and the longest 3400m. Zamazann was rated the best stayer in France in 1969 when he achieved a Timeform rating of 126. He was able to race on any type of going.
His sire, Exbury, was the unbeaten champion of Europe at four years, Exbury was a son of Le Haar (by Vieux Manoir) and the sire line is one of the best French line of this century. Exbury won eight race including the Prix de l’Arc de triomphe and the Coronation Cup at Epson. Exbury sired the winners of over 400 races. His major winners included the St Leger winner Crow, whom stood in Australia. Several of Exbury’s sons came to New Zealand. A sire line that originates with Blandford, regarded as a major influence for stamina. (Zamazaan 5×5 🏇🏇Blandford, linkSimple, Complex & Remarkable- continues to the Blandford line)
Zamazaan was the best foal of the *Tulyar mare Toyama II, who placed four times at three, her only racing season. She produced four other winners of minor races. Grandam Rose o’Lynn by Pherozshah, was a stakes winner up in the 1,000 Guineas. She was a class broodmare producing Buisson Ardent unbeaten champion two-year-old and winner of the French 2,000 Guineas, the French St Leger winner Buisson d’Or, Middle Park Stakes winner Venture VII and Al Mabsoot, winner of the Prix Lupin and runner-up in the King George Vi and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. This is a very strong family which for generations has been producing high class gallopers, a tradition that Zamazaan carried on.
Zamazaan‘s list of major stakes winners were lengthy. His best progeny multiple G1 winners in Australia and New Zealand to the likes of Phizam & Lord Reims. The progeny noted best over staying distances and most took time to reach their peak though he left a number of two-year-old winners.
BEAU ZAM (Zamazaan). 1988 Ansett Australian Horse of the Year. 11 wins-2 at 2-from 1200m to 2800m ✅✅, A$2,388,675, AJC Derby, Gr.1, STC HE Tancred S., Gr.1, AJC Spring Champion S., Gr.1. Sire. https://www.youtube.com/embed/SZRD3R6vc7g
Zamazaan a chestnut, stood 16 hands unshod and was still alert at 21 years old. He was a lengthy horse and stood over plenty of ground, being well-balanced and his offspring took after him in characteristics and ability.
Through daughters, his influence for stamina benefited the New Zealand breeding scene.
Progeny
Precise Horse Pedigree – Starspannerbangled (AUS) from Way To My Heart (IRE) by Galileo > 5×5 Sharpen Up. The dam, Way To My Heart, >> 15x Blandford ✅✅Blenheim, Dalmary, La Furka, Bahram, Brantome, Wild Violet, Umidwar, His Grace.
Precise, a native-bred distaff (B3) her ancestress dam Parting Shot (NTB, non thoroughbred status) – by Petronel by Musket, further the earliest running horse pedigrees USA are Umpire (1857) to inheritances – Sir Archy/Diomed & Gimcrack. USA breeding heritage reflects Dancers Image as 3rd dam sire to Danehill Dancer (@ Starspangledbanner), forms affinity relationship
Despite being very green on the run for home, the penny eventually drops for Flagpole – who breaks her maiden on her second start… pic.twitter.com/vhkKtiPh05
Progeny affinities by sire Starspangledbanner his @ Shecky Greene dam Spur Flower (USA) by Blue Larkspur (Domino male line) + 4d x5d Hamburg (f.f. 23.b) > Lady Reel > 3x4x4 Lexington
Remarkable crosses in sprinter speed and stamina speed arises from the yesteryear’s international diversity. Moreover, executed crosses of distinctive prime types as progeny bred, has the breeder’s metaphor cream rises to the top.
credit reference @ Zamazaan
The Thoroughbred Stallion and Stud of New Zealand – Bill Cox
