Descendants of blue-hens in 2021

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

The year 2021 coincides with the 100 year anniversary of the birth of Mumtaz Mahal (GB) (The Tetrarch {GB}), "The Flying Filly." And what better way for her descendants to celebrate this milestone by winning, and winning big, eight of the 74 Group 1 races contested in Australia this year.

Other notable broodmare figures, as producers of 2021's Group 1 winners:

• 37 (62.7%) are out of winning mares

• 18 (30.5%) are out of stakes-winning mares

• Three (5%) are out of Group 1-winning mares

The Northern Dancer (Can) (Nearctic {Can}) sire-line dominated the year; aside from the 18 Danehill (USA) (Danzig {USA})-line horses, there were four from other Danzig (USA) branches, 11 from Sadler's Wells (USA) (mostly Galileo {Ire} with five and High Chaparral (Ire) with four), three from Nureyev (USA), three from Fairy King (USA) and one each for Storm Cat (USA) and Try My Best (USA).

Of great interest there is that Sadler's Wells, Fairy King and Nureyev are all closely related.

The second most prolific line was that of Mr Prospector (USA) (Raise A Native {USA}) with eight winners; half of those being members of the Street Cry (Ire) (Machiavellian {USA}) branch.

The Halo (USA) (Hail To Reason {USA})-line provided three Group 1 winners and Sir Tristram (Ire) (Sir Ivor {USA}) four whilst with one each were Blushing Groom (Fr) (Red God {USA}), Thatch (USA) (Forli {Arg}) and Roberto (USA) (Bramalea {USA}).

Mumtaz still flying

But back to that elite blue hen mare. Four different descendants of Mumtaz Mahal's prolific daughter Mumtaz Begum (Fr) (Blenheim II {GB}) displayed their class at the elite level in 2021 - Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), Jonker (Spirit Of Boom), Selino (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and Hungry Heart (Frankel {GB}).

The first two of those are both members of the Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) branch of this ever flourishing family; that great mare's high-achieving daughter Cotehele House (GB) (My Swanee {GB}) being the fourth dam of two very different Group 1 horses - a G1 Melbourne Cup winner and a G1 Manikato S. winner.

Gallery: Descendants of Mumtaz Mahal's (GB) prolific daughter Mumtaz Begum (Fr) who displayed their class in 2021

Meanwhile the G1 Sydney Cup winner Selino is a descendant of Eight Carat's fourth dam Sun Princess (GB) (Solario {GB}) whose half-sister Bibibeg (Ire) (Bahram {GB}) is the ancestress of Hungry Heart.

Each of these four high-class gallopers are line-bred to the Mumtaz Mahal family; Verry Elleegant boasting a 4 X 4 cross of her own fourth dam Cotehele House, third dam of her sire who also carries strains of Nasrullah (Ire) (Nearco (Ity}), Mahmoud (Fr) (Blenheim II {GB}), Badruddin (Fr) (Blandford {Ire}) and Royal Charger (GB) (Nearco (Ity})... as well as Fair Trial (GB) (Fairway {GB}) and Aristophanes (GB) (Hyperion {GB}) who are both descendants of Mumtaz Mahal's half-sister Lady Juror (GB) (Son-In-Law {GB}).

Jonker's dam Hearts And Arrows (Kempinsky) is bred on a 4 X 4 cross of her fourth dam Eight Carat whilst his sire Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) also has strong Mumtaz influence via Abernant (GB) (Owen Tudor {GB}), Nasrullah and Royal Charger - as well as Lady Juror influence via Fair Trial, Aristophanes and The Recorder (GB) (Captain Cuttle {GB}).

Hungry Heart's sire Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) has Nasrullah, Royal Charger and Mahmoud as well as Aristophanes, Tudor Minstrel and Fair Trial whilst Selino's sire Champs Elysees (GB) (Danehill {USA}) carries multiple Mahmoud and Nasrullah strains whilst also having Lady Juror influence via her her son Fair Trial and her grandson Tudor Minstrel (Ire) (Owen Tudor {GB}).

Marchetta leaving her mark

Mumtaz Mahal is not the only great mare to have made her mark on Australian Group 1 results this year with three descendants of the influential Marchetta (GB) (Marco {GB}) between them winning five big races; Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}) and Krone (Eurozone).

Zaaki's sire Leroidesanimaux (Brz) (Candy Stripes {USA}) has both Turn-To (Ire) (Royal Charger {GB}) and Borealis (GB) (Brumeux {Fr}) from the Marchetta family, Think It Over's sire So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) has Turn-To and Marco Polo II (Fr) (La Pacha {Fr}) and Krone's sire Eurozone (Northern Meteor) has Klairon (Fr) (Clarion {Fr}) and Turn-To.

Gallery: Descendants of the influential Marchetta (GB)

More recent in history is Northern Dancer's famed daughter Fanfreluche (Can) who had two Group 1-winning descendants this year - Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) whose dam is bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Fanfreluche - and Duais (Shamus Award).

Another family to have played a big part in Group 1 success this year is that of the formidable mother/daughter team of Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}).

With the latter being the dam of Northern Dancer and the third dam of Danehill it is little wonder that she pops up over and over - especially when noting that the Northern Dancer sire-line provided 41 (69.4%) of the 59 individual Group 1 winners for the year with 18 of those hailing from the Danehill branch.

All but four of the Danehill-line Group 1 winners carry further Northern Dancer in their dam lines with one of those - Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) carrying a strain of Almahmoud's grandson Halo (USA) (Hail To Reason {USA}).

And she is one of the 19 Group 1 gallopers bringing Halo into the mix with Northern Dancer and/or Danehill - joined by Artorius (Flying Artie), Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}), Lunar Fox (Foxwedge), I'm Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking), Hitotsu (Maurice {Jpn}), Colette (Hallowed Crown), Willowy (Kermadec {NZ}), Forbidden Love (All Too Hard), Lion's Roar (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}), Savatiano (Street Cry {Ire}), Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), Private Eye (Al Maher), Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}), Profondo (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Vega One (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Media Award (Shamus Award), Celebrity Queen (Redoute's Choice) and Krone who is bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Halo's son Don't Say Halo (USA).

Several other mares of influence have made an impact as line-breeding forces this year.