Newsletter 06

Equinox, the World's Highest-rated Racehorse on Turf

As thoroughbred breeders, the absolute pinnacle in this sport would be to breed a horse like him. 

 (Even half as good, I'm sure, would more than satisfy most of us)

So, where do we look to find the source of his incredible ability?

Equinox won 8 of his 10 starts, including 6 at Group One level, the most recent in the Japan Cup, making the rest of the field look second-rate.

So, what can we learn from Equinox? Where does his exceptional talent come from - is it the stallion, the mare, or are the ancestors behind having an influence? 

While we may never have definitive answers to these questions, it doesn't stop us from searching for clues. And although it may be impossible to predict with certainty, making an educated guess is better than leaving things to lady luck.

Is it the Stallion? 

Equinox's sire, Kitasan Black, was an exceptional racehorse but has so far only produced 8 stakes winners from 189 offspring to race. This suggests he is undoubtedly not dominating the mating or upgrading his mares. Breeding a mare to him and expecting to get a horse like himself or Equinox is a lottery.

Is it his Dam?

From 25 starts, his dam Chateaux Blanche's best performances were winning a Group 3  race and placing 2nd at Group 2 level. 

While this is encouraging, Equinox has surpassed his dam's race track ability by quite a wide margin. 

So is it the ancestors further back?

 Upon examining his family tree, it is evident that Equinox's pedigree is full of duplicated ancestors. He most certainly does not have an out-cross pedigree. 

However, making sense of these duplication's can be complicated and has fascinated many of us for years. 

Today, I will explain a pattern I have discovered over the years, which I think is incredibly important and most likely one of the critical elements of his ability. 

Location Matters:

In various aspects of life, location plays a crucial role. We all know that in real estate, the value of a property is greatly determined by its location.

This was where the phrase location, location, location was born.

Another similar example would be in fishing. Experienced anglers know how important it is that certain spots always yield better results than others. Fish in the right spots, and you will go home with a meal for your family and friends. Fish in the wrong places, and one can quickly lose interest in the pursuit. 

It is much the same when it comes to duplicated ancestors in the family tree, specific locations are more predictable at producing results than others. 

The Best locations in the mare:

• The male-line of the 1st dam

• The male-line of the 2nd dam

• The male-line of the 3rd dam

• and so on.

Many other outstanding horses carry much the same pattern.

Just like with Winx, Equinox  carries duplications of ancestors in specific locations in his dams pedigree. 

Best locations in the stallion.

Matching those ancestors on the mare's male-lines with the stallion's dam-sires.

It is reasonable to ascertain Equionx's unique ability derived from his ancestral heritage.

Similar to knowing where to fish, knowing the location of where to create duplications in the family tree is crucial for maximizing the potential of any mating, 

Equinox's family tree serves as a valuable template that we can use in our own thoroughbred planned matings,

There are further duplications or line breeding patterns in Equinox's family tree, which are also important. If you wish to discuss these through a one-on-one consultation I can be contacted via email at championsbydesign@gmail.com.

Stallion Breeding Patterns

The Mighty Redoute's Choice

The Best Bloodlines

Whether we are breeding horses for sale or breeding to race, knowing the best bloodlines should always be front of mind when planning thoroughbred matings. 

Sadly no longer with us, Redoute's Choice was a highly successful stallion with the ability to produce top-quality offspring.

His sons and daughters continue to be much sought after in the breeding industry.

Looking through his best progeny and knowing what bloodlines worked well with him means we can incorporate those patterns today, hoping that the offspring will inherit his winning traits. 

One of the key factors that contributed to Redoute's Choice's success was his connection to the legendary stallion Nijinsky. 

Nijinsky, a powerhouse in pedigrees, was the sire of Redoute's Choice's second dam Dancing Show.

Redoute's Choice sired many Group One performers out of mares from the male line of Nijinsky.

When mated with these mares, two line breeding patterns appear the double of Nijinsky himself and also the mare Natalma, dam of his sire Northern Dancer.

This second pattern comes about through Danehill tracing in the female line to Northern Dancer's half-sister Spring Adieu.

Nijinsky's influence in the family tree of many of Redoute's Choice's finest offspring cannot be underestimated.

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The pattern lives on to the next generation

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If breeding to a son or grandson of Redoutes Choice, using mares with the male- line of Nijinsky, even if they are through the 2nd or 3rd dam and lower, we can increase the chances of producing offspring with the same winning qualities he has produced for generations to come. 

Yearling Sales

I hope the yearling sales were good to you. There were some good results and positive 

signs for the future. But Book 2 is certainly a worry...... so many passings.

The size of the New Zealand foal crop continues to drop annually. I am sure more could be done to help mare owners, especially the smaller breeders. In my earlier years, every dairy farmer had a mare in the paddock, but that has disappeared today. 

How about a million dollar race just for home bred fillies and mares?

Our Newsletter

I hope you enjoy this newsletter; obviously best viewed on a desktop or notepad, especially with the galleries, as these can be enlarged several times. 

However, many of you will be reading this on your phone. If there are any problems in this area your feedback and comments are most welcome.

 If you would like an article on something that is of interest to you e.g, what mares may suit a particular stallion or sire line, etc, just let me know.

New Projects and Products

At Champions By Design our team has been hard at work developing innovative systems and solutions that will help us all breed a champion race horse.

I will be bringing you more on this in the coming weeks where I will explain the new projects and products

Untill then, Cheers

Paddy