Category Archives: thoroughbred racehorse analysis

reflections ….

27 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Australian Thoroughbreds, genotype, pedigree analysis, pedigree research, thoroughbred pedigree analysis, thoroughbred pedigrees, thoroughbred racehorse analysis

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Its about uncovering pedigree to examine the female lines.

Many discussions I had with father and friends towards ideals: breeding genuine lines/genuine families.

Old days, Dad was a reputable breeder of stud Friesian cows, 40 years +. Add to that, a number of beefies, and the few thoroughbreds.

The breeding technique where his guiding principle – endlessly screening ‘purity’ direct, near as to ‘roots’.

Understandably one might wonder what dairying, farming practices, has to do with today’s thoroughbreds. Well, its these breeding dynamics which breed stock.

Its the diligence to understand.

No technology, repeatedly read history, breeding books, analysing, read-between-lines, deduce and come upon ancestral relationships. Out to the paddocks and observe ‘type. Its the yarning over a back-fence where many ‘unscripted’ understandings towards breeding finds its breadth, breed-to-purpose and performance.

–  onwards strength as specie.

The thoroughbred is still and always hybrid: its composite strains through bloodlines.

There are favourable ‘family’ strains: come stronger to the thoroughbred population.

Breeding goes through its cyclic, the selection on going & hopefully to appropriate sire. The selection decision has the next generation to; it becomes broodmare sire and its influences to next generations thereof. This is selection: the infusions, the capacity to build the desired effect.

Sir Patrick Hogan said something how, breeding-is-not-racing, racing-is-not-breeding.) Thoroughbred Breeding: A MASTER OF TIME

Father often commented: “what a magnificent animal but as a breeder, he is a disaster down the track. You’ll get into trouble with the likes of these.”

On tour, a woman lightly commented, where mares had gotten too big. This  might also suggest, where is the TB going….?

To breed is not to only aim at esteemed bloodlines, but the depth, with its  optimal phenotype: constitution, ‘gait’, flexible.

Multi-faceted criteria’s take due consideration, what factors breeding to the racehorse ideal ?

Though we recognize breeding landscapes change, and more genetic material is increasingly available, I suggest the core-fundamentals don’t.

And, every now & then we might reflect and be reminded some caution applies.

Such has been the improvement in the anaerobic capacity to todays thoroughbred and the total absence of aerobic improvement or it may even be decline of aerobic performance. These change of the last 30 years must be appreciated in any scientific study of todays thoroughbred. Because the thoroughbred has changed, the training and breeding management may no longer be applicable. The anaerobic horse is better, but as a consequence more physiologically fragile.

credit: Australasian Thoroughbred Science Review Jan. 1987

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can’t swing if it ain’t got that thing…..

27 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Australian Thoroughbreds, genotype, pedigree analysis, pedigree research, thoroughbred pedigree analysis, thoroughbred pedigrees, thoroughbred racehorse analysis

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A short while ago, a $A1.5 million yearling sales result came through and cheering the achievement of vendor and purchaser it was a fantastic result for all concerned.

Uncovering the pedigree, examining the tail-female line, it was one of m’ Dad’s favourites AND his point of discussion at breeding towards genuine lines/genuine families.

Though Dad was a reputable breeder of stud Friesian cows, 40 years +. And, with the few thoroughbreds to play around with, he was perfectionist at heart: the familial breeding technique where his MAJOR BIG thing was endlessly screening for ‘purity’ – is it ‘direct’, near as possible to the ‘root’ at origin?

Understandably the reader may wonder what his experiences & dairying cows has to do with thoroughbreds but just, hang-in there……The TBL blog is about where/why/how breeding dynamics is a natural thing, contained within the artificial/domestic/business environment.

Dad was a diligent bastard. There he was without technology – reading 1000 times over ‘good’ history quality breeding books & other.He would go over and over diagrams, snippets of  information, read-between-lines, deduce and came upon ‘why’ the 13 family was not only Good, but THE – One.

He came out with the proverbial ancestral,  at to reinforcing, where ‘ALL’ goes back…. to Rachel, Highflyer, Regulus.

Like the ol’ boy, many theories come n’ gone, fade, forgotten. Its the yarning over the back-fence where many ‘unscripted’ understandings towards breeding ‘right’ for the sake of the superior animal and its bred-purpose and performance.

And, awkwardly the sort of stuff which the old Harry’s shall keep to themselves & store away; the observing eye, to develop an astute understanding towards animals & Nature.Existence. Survival. And, onwards strength as species.

Some years ago, when the thoroughbred Link blog was created, a Uruguay bloodstock analyst contacted TBL and interestingly, he also raised the undying Regulus strain. An ancestral strain to salute the pedigree…..

Whilst tricky to ‘know’ definitively what individuals ‘host’ the (R) strain where certain lines spike pedigree… the clues are enough through family-lines. It is to follow the trail….http://thethoroughbredlink.com/2017/11/01/breeding-dynamics-put-the-helmet-on/

One must comprehend & deeply that the thoroughbred is still hybrid – has composite bloodlines ( a mix).

To my mind, there are definitely numerous ‘family’ bands, which appear to stay truer, stronger to themselves. TBL thinks of these as the ‘top’ tier in the thoroughbred population.

However as it goes, amongst any breeding of bloodlines, if there is a selection, to an inappropriate mating-sire, which then becomes broodmare sire and that which inappropriately shall merge incorrectly (to the cycle/passage of breeding), I, TBL ‘O’pinionize and say yes, this is a horse…but will it race(?) and I shall say ‘ just very averagely.’ It will not be a superior performer. ( if my memory serves me right…Sir Patrick Hogan said something like where breeding-is-not-racing, racing-is-not-breeding.) Thoroughbred Breeding: A MASTER OF TIME

Often, Dad would take me out to the paddock and say “what a magnficient striking animal …(muscle and large bone) but for breeding he is a disaster down the track. You’ll get into trouble with the likes of these.”

And more recently, I head a lady commenting on tour, that the mares have gotten too big, too much bone. I mostly agreed but had to walk away and think, reverting to dad’s farming alchemy and animal management with my own past stud-stock experiences where chewing-the-gum upon todays racing & working through … where is-the-breed-going….?

To breed ‘perfection’ is not to only aim at genetics but the best optimal phenotype, & constitution, the ‘gait’ and its flexibility or elasticity to move ably, fleet-footed. Multi-faceted criteria’s which must take heavy consideration into a scheme of what-is-racehorse ideal. Yet furthering to that examination – 1) 2 year old speed-machines or 2) stayer shall mean sharp energetic distinction from the pure anaerobic to aerobic.

Such has been the improvement in the anaerobic capacity to todays thoroughbred and the total absence of aerobic improvement or it may even be decline of aerobic performance. These change of the last 30 years must be appreciated in any scientific study of todays thoroughbred. Because the thoroughbred has changed, the training and breeding management may no longer be applicable. The anaerobic horse is better, but as a consequence more physiologically fragile.

credit: Australasian Thoroughbred Science Review Jan. 1987

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Moving on from Danehill

11 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by in Australian Thoroughbreds, pedigree analysis, pedigree research, race horse breeding, racehorse syndications, thoroughbred pedigree analysis, thoroughbred racehorse analysis

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Reflections upon pedigree analysis always takes its past to foretell the future and in particular the present: un-noticeable features, remarkable trends which go without nicking sire algorithms and their volumes.

TBL believes great pedigree analysis is to view an unique breeding-plan which man & ‘Nature’ graciously shapes before our very eyes.

Instinctively, we seek a key-strain that eternally exists as a ‘carrier’, integral to all thoroughbred breeding.

That key-strain, like a nucleus peaks a breeding pattern like no other. It changes the breeding landscape to challenge conventional breeding, extending breeding to superior.

The strain, its genetic impact is not obvious. It deserves scrutiny. It is always in the maternal grandsire field and to quote the late, and great Ross du Bourg , an Australian bloodstock analyst foretold – “maternal grandsire, sire of the dam, whose genetic presence is usually seriously undervalued and ignored in sales catalogues. I believe the maternal grandsire can exert a pivotal influence for good or bad in a pedigree.” RB

Reviewing old notes, TBL once held a slight skeptic view of the deep Danehill, genetic wave upon the Australasian thoroughbred.

IMG_20180112_075618.jpg

Danehill

With no offense to the immense quality of bloodlines it was due to the ‘type’ featured, which has surely changed, settled and absorbed.

The absolute reason what I couldn’t comprehend an enormity of Danehill bred, is where Danehill, Northern Dancer, Halo, Coup de Folie,  Machiavellian are all sourced from the same great maternal 2d family – Alamamoud/Mother Goose.

The shuttling sire model indeed challenged diversity to the global breeding populace. Conflicting perhaps a ‘too-closer’ relationship unable to erase its rich international presence. That’s okay, but one factor suggesting predicament; an over dosage and or, saturation point.

Too much of one thing is not always a good thing.

Saturation/dosage maybe fine IF intentional… has the greater forward breeding plan, as maternal lines settle through generational-breeding, intermingling 4th/5th generation.  Once through the settling-pond, Danehill broodmares integrate.

Danehill influences are well…the common to world international breeding: repeated history like Northern Dancer, Mr Prospector or as the Nearco era was.

Yet to breed the ‘new’ thoroughbred shall cry for variability, diversity from a rather contemporary and closing gene pool.

It is indeed thought-provoking to advise where/what is next?

And further….what true genotype/racing phenotype is ‘faultless’ for today?

With climate-change, racing conditions have become highly climatic variable and racing programmes of today’s environment with lacking consistency is order of the day.

Many high quality thoroughbreds fall through cracks for lack of opportunity where training & natural development, plus other bureaucratic policies certainly flaw the horses racing condition and experience.

Further, demand is placed on athletic, rockin’ and rollin’ 2 year sprint market jobs – desirable for cost-effective reasons.

Due to infinite variables in the game, beauty-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder and all that….TBL’s take is where we seek a physical specimen: a flexibility, robust but economic in physique & motion as inclusive keys to the changing demands of racing. Such types may easily go under the sale radar – the yearling deemed immature.

Genotype genetic twists and turns are contingent on greater ‘depth’: we think it is wiser to select lines which favour tenacity.

Time and time again we emphatically find it is not the in-breeding ‘Danehill’s’ as the pedigree stature, but a throw of genetic bang from almost forgotten sources.

Individualists.

Old breeding purists of old did say: nature seeks (breeding) purity.

Once the ‘force’ is recognised, the record is there as confirmation.

And so, extraordinarily, enthusiastically, we’re finding Australian freshman sire Spirit of Boom (home-bred and standing at Eureka Stud, Queensland ) refreshing – stimulating –   the desired transfiguration to fulfil genetic pre-potency as his ‘seeds’ ripened, majorly to a Hyperion expression, rather than Nearco. (which is another TBL notion, but one I uphold!)

http://www.stallions.com.au/horses/summary.php?arion_id=IjEwMzU1NTE2NCI=

http://www.pedigreequery.com/spirit+of+boom

*CHECK pedigree:  double presence of Thatch, the sire and descendant line of Hyperion (Gondolette female family ) AND as importantly the female- Thong/Simon’s Shoes 5-H. Know who’s who on the same directory….hint Sadlers Wells, Nureyev, Yeats and just take a genuine look at this young superlative sire.

By tuning into pedigree influences, important notational principles apply; to comprehend inherency over homogeneity.

The Spirit of Boom’s maternal grand-dam sire carries Semipalantinsk (USA) .

semipalatinsk.jpg

photo credit – virtualformguide.com

Semipalantinsk, american bred and Italian raced before being imported to stand at Eureka Stud, Queensland.

To reference, Semipalantinsk (USA) takes maternal siring influence where he also ‘types’ the phenomenal Savabeel maternal line. http://www.waikatostud.co.nz/savabeel

Reflect , world champion, Vengeance of Rain (Zabeel/Danelagh where Semipalatinsk is grand-dam sire and same pedigree AJC Oaks winner, the mare Dizelle.

We marvel the continuation, the Spirit of Boom progeny – four entries in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic: Jonker, Ef Troop, Outback Barbie, Spirits Pride.

With his first crop,  2yo runners producing 2 individual winners, 5 individual placers, all from 8 starts (7 in Australia, 1 in NZ) to simply read a TBL……wowyeah

So if you’re saluting Spirit of Boom, his progeny, caste your eye over maternal Bletchingly, Rockefella lines.

Evoke Vain, Wilkes, Court Martial – watch the recurrent folds.

Tap….Star Kingdom to.

Magic.

  “Although he never stood above $5000, Semipalatinsk lays claim to be the most successful sire of quality performers to stand all his stud career in Queensland” refer http://www.thoroughbrednews.com.au/News/Story/21911

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