Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The 74 Group 1 races contested in Australia in 2022 were won by 62 different horses. Let's have a look at some breeding facts concerning these elite-level horses.
A total of 70.9 per cent of Australia's Group 1 winners for 2022 were members of this, the world’s most prolific sireline - 44 horses from six different branches. Danzig (USA) has been dominating for years and does so again with 20 winners but Sadler's Wells (USA) is hot on his illustrious heels with 14.
Danzig (USA) | Image courtesy of Claiborne Farm
Nureyev (USA) and Try My Best (USA) had three each whilst Storm Cat (USA) and Fairy King (USA) had two. Six other sirelines featured in the Group 1 winner's circle, the other two with significant representation being Mr Prospector (USA) with eight, (four via Street Cry {Ire}) and Hail To Reason (USA) with six, while there were four via Halo (USA) and two by Maurice (Jpn).
Sir Tristram's (Ire) influence was down on last year's four elite-level winners with just the one - the now retired Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}). Three other sirelines had one Group 1 horse each - Snippets, Grey Sovereign (GB) and Blushing Groom (Fr).
The mares
Other notable broodmare figures, as producers of 2022's Group 1 winners:
| Stakes winning mares | 13 | 20.9 |
| Stakes performed mares | 20 | 32.2 |
| Other city winning mares | 9 | 14.5 |
| All winning mares | 42 | 67.7 |
Only one Group 1-winning mare produced a top-flight winner in 2022 but it just happened to be 2022's most prolific big-race winner - the outstanding 4-year-old Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) whose dam Anamato (Redoute's Choice) won the G1 Australasian Oaks in 2007.
And one classy mare did a good job producing two Group 1 horses - the Goulburn maiden winner Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}) who is the dam of both the G1 Metropolitan H. winner No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) and the G1 CF Orr S. winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).
Baggy Green is a descendant of the G1 English 1000 Guineas winner Picture Play (GB) (Donatello II {Fr}).
Baggy Green | Image courtesy of Gavelhouse Plus
The matriarchs
The mighty mare Mumtaz Mahal (GB) (The Tetrarch {GB}) did not have quite as successful a year as she had in 2021 when her descendants won eight Group 1 races but two winners of three big races is still a noteworthy achievement - Verry Elleegant's final Group 1 was in 2022; the G1 Chipping Norton S., while Snapdancer (Choisir) added a brace of Group 1s to her record when she landed the G1 Memsie S. and the G1 Robert Sangster S.
Two of the recent Perth carnival Group 1 winners - Amelia's Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) and Paulele (Dawn Approach {Ire}) are descendants of another famed matriarch in Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}), who also made her mark as ancestress of last season's Champion Sire I Am Invincible.
Amelia's Jewel, winner of the G1 Northerly S., is a descendant of Chelandry (GB) | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
In 2021 we saw the influential Marchetta (GB) (Marco {GB}) represented by three individual Group 1 winners and two of those went right on with in 2022 - Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}).
Zaaki's sire Leroidesanimaux (Brz), a son of Candy Stripes (USA), has both Turn-To (Ire) (Royal Charger {GB}) and Borealis (GB) (Brumeux {Fr}) from the Marchetta family, while Think It Over's sire So You Think (NZ), by High Chaparral (Ire), has Turn-To and Marco Polo II (Fr), a son of La Pacha (Fr).
The 1925 locally bred mare Aulone (Claro {GB}) did a great job at stud with her four stakes winners and two of her descendants rose to Group 1 heights - the G1 VRC Oaks and G1 Champagne S. winner She's Extreme (Extreme Choice) and the popular The Galaxy winner Shelby Sixtysix (Toronado {Ire}).
Gallery: Descendants of Aulone who scored elite-level wins in 2022, images courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Northern Dancer's wonderful daughter Fanfreluche (Can) also had two Group 1-winning descendants – G1 Coolmore Stud's and G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. winner and now Coolmore Stud resident Home Affairs, a son of I Am Invincible, while she also appears in the pedigree for the G1 Tancred S. and G1 Australian Cup winner Duais (Shamus Award).
The 1974 born mare Picatina (GB) (Welsh Pageant {Fr}) had a good year too - being the fifth dam of the G1 Railway S. winner Trix Of The Trade (Trade Fair {GB}) and sixth dam of the G1 Storm Queen S. winner Fangirl (Sebring).
Born the year before Picatina was the five-time winner Bite The Dust (USA) (Dr Fager {USA}). The dam of three stakes winners, she is also the fourth dam of 2022’s G1 George Ryder and G1 Canterbury S. winner Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) and third dam of the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Apache Chase (Better Than Ready).
Going back a bit further, the 1922 born, locally bred mare Cocoanut (The Nut {GB}) is ancestress of the G1 Futurity S. winner Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and the G1 Goodwood H. winner Lombardo (I Am Invincible).
Gallery: Descendants of Cocoanut who scored elite-level wins in 2022, images courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The aptly named mare Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) is the dam of Nureyev and grandam of Sadler's Wells and Fairy King - all Group 1 lines in 2022 - and she is also fifth dam of the G1 Doomben Cup winner Huetor (Fr) whose sire Archipenko (USA) is her grandson.
Other mares of influence with Group 1 descendants in 2022 include:
| La Troienne | Jungle Magnate | SA Derby |
| Ampola | Hinged | Surround S. |
| Friar's Daughter | Nature Strip | TJ Smith S. |
| Pretty Polly | Icebath | Empire Rose S. |
| Princess Tracy | Alligator Blood | three G1 wins |
| Double Life | Gypsy Goddess | Queensland Oaks |
| Boxeuse | Manzoice | VRC Derby |
| Feola | Nimalee | Queen of the Turf |
| Rosy Legend | Cascadian | All Aged S. |
| Vickyjoy | Mr Brightside | Doncaster H. |
| No Angel | Top Ranked | Epsom H. |
| Agar's Plough | Sharp 'N' Smart | Spring Champion |
| Majideh | Durston | Caulfield Cup |
| Neriad | Pinarello | Queensland Derby |
