by Nigel Pullen

Arc Weekend 2001 - Day 1

by Nigel Pullen ©

Arc Weekend at Longchamp racecourse, nestling in the Bois de Boulogne on the outskirts of Paris, is Europe's nearest equivalent to the Breeders' Cup. The appetising hors d'oeuvre consisted of four Group 2 events on the Saturday, followed the next day by the main course made up of a mouth-watering six Group 1 races, culminating in the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe.

PRIX DE ROYALLIEU (Group 2) (2500 metres) (Fillies & Mares)
1. MOON QUEEN 1998 gr f Sadler's Wells - Infamy (Shirley Heights)
2. RANIN 1998 b f Unfuwain - Nafhaat (Roberto)
3. STREET SHAANA 1998 b f Darshaan - Street Opera (Sadler's Wells)
Distances: nose, 4 lengths Time: 2min.49.30sec.
Soft ground prevailed on the first day, and the consistent filly Moon Queen led from the start and just held off the challenge of Ranin in an exciting finish. It was a classic piece of waiting in front by Moon Queen's rider Frankie Dettori. Oddly enough, Moon Queen's dam, Infamy, recorded the first of her three Group successes on this very day back in 1987, when she won the Sun Chariot Stakes (G2) at Newmarke, and later recorded pattern race victories in the Gordon Richards Stakes (G3) and Rothmans International (G1) at Woodbine in Canada. Moon Queen is Infamy's third Group winner, after Barafamy (by Sadler's Wells' son Barathea) and Innuendo (by Caerleon), although her first foal, Kamikaze (by Kris), plied his trade as a steeplechaser finishing second in the Midlands Grand National.

This is yet another example of the hugely successful Sadler's Wells/Shirley Heights cross, responsible for so many Group winner including Ebadiyla, Greek Dance, In The Wings, Milan, Morshdi, Quarter Moon and Subtle Power. It was covered in more detail in the Pedigree Post article about St. Leger winner Milan, but is founded on the close relationship between Lalun's two sons Bold Reason (maternal grandsire of Sadler's Wells) and Never Bend (grandsire of Shirley Heights), backed up by the genetic links forged between by Turn-to and Hard Ridden. The third placed Street Shaana has the reverse of this cross being by Shirley Height's son Darshaan out of a Sadler's Wells mare.

The other fascinating genetic relationship in Moon Queen revolves around her fourth dam Pantoufle. This mare was 4x3 to the mare Serena via Solar Slipper and Arctic Star, and a close look at the pedigree of Serena shows that she shared strains of Charm, Persimmon, Bona Vista, Bend Or, St Simon, Hampton, Sultana and Fusee with the stallion Peace Chance. Now Peace Chance was the maternal grandsire of Almahmoud, the granddam of Sadler's Wells sire Northern Dancer; and given that Serena also had a significant build up of strains of the mare Queen Mary in her genetic background, as did Northern Dancer, it is no surprise to see these two combining so well. Space does not allow more than this cursory look at this relationship, but it is well worth bearing in mind, and the number of times Northern Dancer has cropped up with Arctic Star/Serena can surely be no coincidence.

PRIX DOLLAR (Group 2) (2000 metres)
1. ALBARAHIN 1995 b h Silver Hawk - My Dear Lady (Mr Prospector)
2. CHANCELLOR 1998 ch c Halling - Isticanna (Far North)
3. KING OF TARA 1998 b c Fairy King - La Bella Fontana (Lafontaine)
Distances: head, 4 lengths Time: 2min.10.50sec.
Another wonderful finish with the English-trained pair Albarahin and Chancellor drawing clear of the field entering the home straight. Albarahin got his head in front 400 metres out only for Chancellor to inch back into the lead. However, the tenacious Albarahin would not be denied and as the pair flashed past the post, the photograph showed that Albarahin had battled back to win by head. This was a thoroughly deserved first Group success for Albarahin, who has proved one of the most consistent and genuine horse in training; his last 19 races have yielded 10 wins and seven seconds.

Albarahin's dam, My Dear Lady, was a half-sister to In Reality, by Mr. Prospector, and was thus bred along similar lines to a host of Grade 1 winners such as Cahill Road, City Zip, Chester House, Real Quiet, Rubiano and Unbridled. Albarahin himself combines the potent cross of Roberto and Mr. Prospector 2x2. A comparison between those two stallions reveals genetic links between two sets of horse occupying the same positions in their respective pedigrees. Firstly Roberto's dam Bramalea was by Nashua out of Rarelea, who was by a son of Bull Dog out of a Blue Larkspur mare. This was a very similar pattern to Mr. Prospector's dam Gold Digger, for she was also by Nashua and her granddam Miss Dogwood was by Bull Dog out of a Blue Larkspur mare.

The second pair of close genetic relatives found in this relationship were the mares Nothirdchance (dam of Roberto's sire) and Raise You (dam of Mr. Prospector's sire). Nothirdchance's strains of Black Servant, Flaming Swords and Teddy being matched in Raise You by Teddy, Flaming Swords three-quarter brother American Flag and Black Servant's three-quarter sister Bill And Coo.

Before leaving this race mention must be made of the pedigree of the runner-up Chancellor. He is 5x3 to Northern Dancer via the three-quarter brothers Nijinsky II and Far North, and 5x3 to the mare Mesopotamia; the latter being the ancestress of both Chancellor's sire and dam. Now for the surprise; Mesopotamia's fourth dam Charmione was also the dam of Serena, the mare mentioned above in Moon Queen's pedigree, and this time appearing with not one, but two lines of Northern Dancer. Just for the record the combination of Northern Dancer and Mesopotamia has appeared close up in the Group winners Celtic Heir, Cherokee Rose, Danish, Hawkeye, Noushkey, Restructure, San Sebastian and Uncharted Haven.

PRIX DU ROND POINT (Group 2) (1600 metres)
1. CHINA VISIT 1997 b c Red Ransom - Furajet (The Minstrel)
2. JIM AND TONIC 1994 ch g Double Bed - Jimka (Jim French)
3. LUGNY 1998 b c Ski Chief - Lyndia (Tropular)
Distances: 1 length, 4 lengths Time: 1min.44.80sec.
China Visit was given a soft lead, and allowed to set his own pace by the rest of the field. Frankie Dettori had left plenty in reserve and entering the straight, China Visit still had enough left to kick on and repel the late challenge of the globetrotting gelding Jim And Tonic. The latter is more suited to a faster surface, but he was probably given too much ground to make up today, in view of the soft going.

China Visit's dam Furajet was a speedy juvenile, winning her first two starts before finishing third in the Queen Mary Stakes (G3). The following season she failed to win but still ran some fair races, to record a third place in the Palace House Stakes (G3) and fourth in the Kings's Stand Stakes (G2) over sprint distances. Furajet was a half sister to three top class performers in General Monash (by Thorn Dance), winner of the Prix Robert Papin (G2); English 2,000 Guineas hero King of Kings (by Sadler's Wells); and the latter's full sister, Amethyst, runner-up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

China Visit's sire Red Ransom had a priceless asset in his pedigree, the mare Christmas Wind. Not only was she a daughter of Nearctic, and thus providing a balance to the ubiquitous Northern Dancer (a son of Nearctic), but she also supplied Mossborough, who was perfect foil for Nearctic, being by Nearco out of Hyperion's half sister All Moonshine. Also of interest is the 3x3 cross of Bramalea (dam of Red Ransom's sire Roberto) and Fleur (dam of Furajet's sire The Minstrel). Bramalea had strains of Rarelea and Johnstown close up; an ideal foil for Fleur, who had Rarelea's three-quarter genetic relative Bull Page as her maternal grandsire, plus a 3x4 cross of the full brothers Flares and Omaha. The latter pair were close genetic relatives to Johnstown, all three sharing strains of Sir Gallahad III, Flambette, Chelandry, Bend Or, St Simon and Marguerite.

Bramalea's background strains of Nasrullah, Bull Dog, Peter Pan and North Star III were further reinforced by Habitat, who provides Nasrullah's three-quarter genetic relative Royal Charger, along with Bull Dog, Peter Pan and North Star III.

China Visit's third dam Ampulla traced tail female to the mare Snow Maiden (by Roi Herode's son The Tetrarch out of Snoot), and Snow Maiden's close relative Lady Comfey (by Roi Herode out of Snoot) also appeared here via her son American Flag. He sired the granddam of Raise a Native, who was himself grandsire of Ampulla. This background was further reinforced in China Visit's pedigree courtesy of his great grandsire Hail To Reason. The latter's maternal grandsire Blue Swords was out of the mare, Flaming Swords (by Man O'War out of a daughter of Lady Comfey), who we encountered in the pedigree of Albarahin, and of course was a three-quarter sister to American Flag (by Man O'War out of Lady Comfey). Finally, China Visit was 5x6x6 to Royal Charger, and a variation of the latter's Nearco, Gainsborough, Mumtaz Mahal and Blandford background were provided by China Visit's fourth dam A 1.

PRIX HUBERT DE CHAUDENAY (Group 2) (3000 metres) (3yo's)
1. WAREED 1998 b c Sadler's Wells - Truly Special (Caerleon)
2. CAPAL GARMON 1998 b g Caerleon - Elevate (Ela-Mana-Mou)
3. PUSHKIN 1998 b c Caerleon - Palmeraie (Lear Fan)
Distances: 4 lengths, 2 lengths Time: 3min.26.70sec.
Persistent rain had further softened the ground by the time this staying event for three-year-olds was run, making it a real stamina test. The visored Wareed set a steady gallop, and stayed on well when challenged by Capal Garmon, drawing clear for a decisive victory, to give jockey Frankie Dettori his third win of the day. It was the sort of going where it was difficult to make up ground quickly, and all today's winners raced prominently throughout. The lightly raced Wareed was making only his fourth racecourse appearance, and has improved for this step up in distance. It was Sadler's Wells second success of the day, and when the rains come his progeny certainly excel.

There are plenty of Group winners close up in this family with Wareed's dam picking up the Prix de Royaumont (G3) and his granddam being the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Arctique Royale. Wareed is also a half-brother to another Prix Royaumont winner in Truly A Dream (by Darshaan), while his close relatives Modish and Russian Snows, both by Sadler's Wells out of Arctique Royale, scored in Group 2 and Group 3 company respectively.

Wareed is 2x4 to Northern Dancer, via the close genetic relatives Sadler's Wells (maternal grandsire a son of Hail To Reason) and Caerleon (granddam by Hail To Reason). This Hail To Reason double was backed up by the appearance of the mare Roman Galley, who was the dam of Arctic Slave (sire of Wareed's third dam). Hail To Reason's maternal grandsire Blue Swords was a son of the mare Flaming Swords, and the latter's pedigree closely matched that of Roman Galley. Both Flaming Swords and Roman Galley were daughters of Man O'War, and Flaming Swords granddam Lady Comfey (by Roi Herode out of Snoot) was a three-quarter sister to Roman Galley's maternal grandsire Caligula (by a son of Roi Herode out of Snoot). If you think this sounds familiar, then look back to the notes on China Visit above.

A nice balance to the double of Northern Dancer was achieved by the presence of Royal And Regal, the sire of Wareed's granddam. Not only were Northern Dancer and Royal And Regal both out of Native Dancer mares, but more importantly, Northern Dancer's sire Nearctic (by Nearco out of an Hyperion mare) was a perfect foil for Royal and Regal's sire Vaguely Noble, who had a balancing son strain of Hyperion and daughter of Nearco. Finally our old friend Arctic Star (remember him from the discussion on Moon Queen above?) makes his presence felt. Yet again combined with a double of Northern Dancer; Arctic Star being the sire of the aforementioned Arctic Slave.

Summary: It is fascinating to observe many similar pedigree patterns that recurred consistently amongst today's winners and placed horses.

1. The combination of Sadler's Wells and Shirley Heights, together with the liking of Sadler's Wells progeny for soft ground.
2. The combination of Northern Dancer and Serena found in both Moon Queen and Wareed via Arctic Star, while a second variation of this theme, namely Northern Dancer combined with the mare Mesopotamia (who descended from a half sister to Serena), was present in the runner-up Chancellor.
3. The combination of the close genetic relatives Flaming Swords, American Flag and Roman Galley, at least one variation of which was evident in Albarahin, China Visit and Wareed.
4. The appearance of Caerleon as either sire or maternal grandsire of the first three horses in the stamina sapping Prix Hubert de Chaudenay.