Some Examples Please

The winning run of Redondo Beach came to an end in the Bagot Handicap at Flemington on New Year’s Day but this young stayer has had only nine races and hopefully there’s more to come.

He’s a half-brother, of course, to the brilliant middle distance exponent El Segundo, winner of this season’s G1-R W S Cox Plate.

If performance ultimately makes up pedigree, then El Segundo, as a horse of international class, has a rare background.

Without delving too far back into history, I note that:

# His first dam’s sire Oak Ridge never ran a place.
# His second dam’s sire Otehi Bay was a moderate welter sprinter in Sydney and was never so much as stakes-placed.
# His third dam’s sire Battle-Waggon won one race.
# His fourth dam’s sire Red Mars was a war baby and won just 3 races from 11 starts.

I don’t need anyone to tell me what beautifully bred stallions these were blah blah blah, or what genetic nicety is responsible for this horse’s ability, but I would be interested if anyone can find a similar example of a multiple G1 winner of international standard generated on the distaff side by a succession of sires so undistinguished as racehorses?

The four dams in question themselves were all useful performers.

El Segundo, from the first crop of Pins, was a fabulous yearling, he looked a racehorse. He was at the top of my ‘most wanted’ list at Karaka in 2003 (for the sceptics, I still have my ratings sheets) but it didn’t happen, as it often doesn't at sales much to one's later regret. We bought two others by Pins instead, stakeswinner Tivoli Dancer and Dress Suit (8 wins, $232,150). Not a bad effort, but together they cost about the same as the future El Segundo (12 wins, $3,791,875 and counting).