When mares embark on breeding careers, they come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some earned their opportunities at stud with outstanding performances on the racetrack, greatly enhancing their value with victories in prestigious black-type races.
For others, various factors may have prevented them from ever reaching those heights themselves, but in many cases they have blue blood coursing through their veins, ready to be passed on to following generations.
When that next generation reaches racing age and starts competing at the elite level, which of those types of mares are the most prominent?
One of Australia's most elite mares, Vegas Showgirl (NZ)
We looked back over the last decade of Group 1 race results in Australia – from the beginning of the 2009 season, right up to the Kingston Town Classic in Perth last month.
There were 738 Group 1 races run in Australia during those 10 and a half years, and 44 of those were won by the sons or daughters of Group 1-winning mares – 5.96% of the total number.
Mares who won at either Group or Listed level accounted for a total of 176 of those Group 1 wins (23.85%), while mares who either won or placed in black type races collected a total of 241 Group 1 victories (32.66%).
Almost three-quarters of the last decade’s Group 1 races were won by sons or daughters of mares who had won at least one race of any kind (536 races, 72.63%).
Of the remainder, 111 were sons of daughters of unraced mares (15.04%), and 38 were the progeny of mares who raced and were unplaced (5.15%).
| Progeny of Group 1-winning mares | 44 | 5.96% |
| Progeny of stakes-winning mares | 176 | 23.85% |
| Progeny of stakes-winning or stakes-placed mares | 241 | 32.66% |
| Progeny of mares who have won any race | 536 | 72.63% |
| Progeny of unraced mares | 111 | 15.04% |
| Progeny of unplaced mares | 38 | 5.15% |
The stats-skewing champions
We were fortunate to witness more than one piece of equine superstardom during this decade – unforgettable champions whose performances significantly skew our statistics in this analysis.
Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) won 15 Group 1 races in her perfect, 25-from-25 career. She is out of the unraced Helsinge (Desert Sun {GB}). Without Black Caviar’s contribution, the number of Group 1 victories by the progeny of unraced mares won drops to 96 (13.28%).
The legendary Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) won 25 Group 1 races. She is out of the Listed winner Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar) and contributes heavily to the total of 176 Group 1 wins in the last decade by progeny of stakes-winning mares. Without Winx, that number drops to 151 (21.78%).
Winx
Back-to-back generations of Group 1 winners
Along similar lines to the champions mentioned above, More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}) is a significant contributor to the tally of Group 1 wins by the progeny of Group 1-winning mares.
A daughter of the Australian Oaks winner Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence {USA}), she won eight Group 1 races. Without her contribution, there were 36 Group 1 wins in the decade by the sons or daughters of Group 1 winners – 4.93% of the total.
More Joyous (NZ)
Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}) was another prolific performer. A daughter of four-time South African Group 1 winner Tracy’s Element (Last Tycoon {Ire}), Typhoon Tracy won six times at the elite level.
Chautauqua (Encosta de Lago), whose dam Lovely Jubly (Lion Hunter {USA}) won the G1 QTC Sires’ Produce S. and T.J. Smith Classic, also made a major contribution to this tally with five Group 1 wins.
The table below lists the Group 1 winners in the last 10 years whose dams also won at the elite level.
| Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) | Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk {USA}) |
| Boban (Bernardini {USA}) | Kenbelle (Kenmare {Fr}) |
| Chartreux (Catbird) | French Resort (Bonhomie {USA}) |
| Chautauqua (Encosta de Lago) | Lovely Jubly (Lion Hunter) |
| Estijaab (Snitzel) | Response (Charge Forward) |
| First Seal (Fastnet Rock) | Episode (Scenic {Ire}) |
| Foreteller (GB) (Dansili {GB}) | Prophecy (Ire) (Warning {GB}) |
| Foundry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) | Sharp Lisa (USA) (Dixieland Band {USA}) |
| Grand Marshal (GB) (Dansili {GB}) | Margarula (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}) |
| Guelph (Exceed and Excel) | Camarilla (Elusive Quality {USA}) |
| Impending (Lonhro) | Mnemosyne (Encosta de Lago) |
| Invest (Dehere {USA}) | Unearthly (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) |
| May's Dream (New Approach {Ire}) | She's Archie (Archway {Ire}) |
| Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) | Arapaho Miss (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) |
| More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}) | Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence {USA}) |
| Pinot (Pierro) | Dizelle (Zabeel {NZ}) |
| Stay With Me (Street Cry {Ire}) | Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice) |
| Trap for Fools (Poet's Voice {GB}) | Old Money (Old Spice) |
| Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}) | Tracy's Element (Last Tycoon {Ire}) |
The most recent additions to the group are the Golden Slipper winner Estijaab (Snitzel), whose dam Response (Charge Forward) won the Sir Rupert Clarke S. and Robert Sangster S.
Dual Queensland Group 1 winner Impending (Lonhro), a son of Thousand Guineas and Queen of the Turf S. winner Mnemosyne (Encosta de Lago).
The Saeed bin Suroor-trained Caulfield S. winner Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), whose dam Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk {USA}) won at Group 1 level in France.
Benbatl (GB)
Mackinnon S. winner Trap For Fools (Poet’s Voice {GB}), a son of Perth Group 1 winner Old Money (Old Spice).
Finally, this season’s VRC Oaks winner Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), who won the same race as her dam Arapaho Miss (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
As is to be expected, the catalogue for Book 1 of the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale features an elite selection of dams. Almost all of them have produced a top-class racehorse, are closely related to one, or were one in their own right.
There are 24 yearlings who are the progeny of Group 1-winning mares (2.7% of the catalogue), with 203 sons or daughters of stakes-winning mares (22.86%) and 319 whose dams either won or placed at black-type level (35.92%).
Mares who won at least one race make up the vast majority of the catalogue with 659 yearlings (74.21%). Well-related unraced mares feature as the dams of 116 yearlings (13.06%), and unplaced dams just 51 (5.74%).
| 77 | Allez Wonder | Tavistock (NZ) | Vinery Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | F |
| 80 | Amanpour | I Am Invincible | Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre, Vic (As Agent) | C |
| 126 | Bel Mer | Written Tycoon | Rushton Park, Tatura, Vic (As Agent) | C |
| 381 | Hollow Bullet | Maurice (Jpn) | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 400 | In Style (NZ) | I Am Invincible | Mill Park Stud, Meningie, SA (As Agent) | F |
| 447 | Kononkop (Arg) | Uncle Mo (USA) | Coolmore Stud, Jerry's Plains, NSW (As Agent for Morning Rise Stud) | F |
| 468 | Leading the Way (Arg) | Into Mischief (USA) | Newgate Farm, Aberdeen, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 488 | Loving New (Brz) | So You Think (NZ) | Vinery Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 500 | Makybe Diva (GB) | Written Tycoon | Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Burradoo, NSW (As Agent for Makybe) | F |
| 526 | Mid Summer Music | Fastnet Rock | Cressfield, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | F |
| 527 | Midnight Oil (NZ) | Unencumbered | Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, Eddington, Vic (As Agent) | F |
| 536 | Miss Cover Girl | Capitalist | Segenhoe Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 543 | Miss Match (Arg) | Snitzel | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 631 | Perfect Fit (NZ) | Exceed and Excel | Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | F |
| 640 | Platelet | Exceed and Excel | Cressfield, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 642 | Politeness | Snitzel | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | F |
| 679 | Regimental Gal | Snitzel | Cressfield, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | F |
| 729 | Savannah Success | Vancouver | Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | F |
| 734 | Scarlett Lady (NZ) | Snitzel | Kitchwin Hills, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 754 | Shamal Wind | Redoute's Choice | Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | C |
| 813 | Steps in Time | I Am Invincible | Kitchwin Hills, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | C |
| 819 | Streama | Medaglia d'Oro (USA) | Murrulla Stud, Wingen, NSW (As Agent for Brook Pastoral Pty Ltd) | C |
| 873 | Tinto | Sebring | Eureka Stud, Cambooya, Qld (As Agent) | F |
| 36 | We Can Say it Now | Frankel (GB) | Canning Downs Stud, Darling Downs, Qld (As Agent) | C |
The Group 1-winning mares in the catalogue include the mighty Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}) and top-class sire Savabeel’s dam Savannah Success (Success Express {USA}), along with Allez Wonder (Redoute’s Choice), Amanpour (Northern Meteor), Bel Mer (Bel Esprit), Hollow Bullet (Tayasu Tsuyoshi {Jpn}), In Style (NZ) (Fast ‘n’ Famous), Kononkop (Arg) (Pure Prize {USA}), Leading the Way (Arg) (Brancusi {USA}), Loving New (Brz) (Choctaw Ridge {USA}), Mid Summer Music (Oamaru Force), Midnight Oil (NZ) (Keeper), Miss Cover Girl (Monashee Mountain {USA}), Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner {USA}), Perfect Fit (NZ) (Elusive City {USA}), Platelet (Strategic), Politeness (Street Sense {USA}), Regimental Gal (General Nediym), Scarlett Lady (NZ) (Savabeel), Shamal Wind (Dubawi {Ire}), Steps in Time (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Streama (Stratum), Tinto (Red Dazzler) and We Can Say It Now (Starcraft {NZ}).
