Stallion Profile for Ishiguru
by Peter Neilsen © October 2004

Ishiguru a 1998, 16.0hh Bay colt by Danzig out of Strategic Maneuver by Cryptoclearance will stand at Chequers Stud, New Zealand for $5,000 plus GST

Racing Career
Ishiguru was trained by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle. In just 9 starts he won 3 races and was second 3 times. His best win was a G3 over 5f at three years of age. His other wins were both at 6f, the first at two and the other at three years of age. Timeform rated him at 114p as a two year old. The “p” signifies that he showed potential racing ability higher than his rating. At 114 Ishiguru was rated the 8^th equal best 2yo in Europe. Nayef at 123p and Minardi at 119p were the two top 2 year olds in Europe.  Rated below Ishiguru at 2 were future stars Noverre 113, Mozart 111, Galileo 107 and Grandera at 106 lbs. In the same year and at the same age No Excuse Needed was rated 109, Pyrus was rated 106 and Black Minnaloushe 104.

Timeform said of Ishiguru “He looks a sprinter pure and simple” “had a bout of coughing in the summer” and commented on a  “bruised foot”. They also said he was “strong, medium sized.”

Backgound

Ishiguru cost $US1,150,000 as a yearling. His dam Strategic Maneuver won 2 G1 races at two over 6 and 7 furlongs. She was rated the third best 2yo filly in the USA and has produced several $US1m+ yearlings. At this years Keeneland September sale her Storm Cat filly sold for $US1,300,000 (not quite the benchmark ratio of 3 times the Storm Cat fee of $US500,000 but I expect the vendors went home fairly happy!!)  The Storm Cat yearling was a full sister to Strategic Maneuver’s best offspring to date the G2 winner of 3 races, the filly Cat Fighter.

In the last Southern Hemisphere season Ishiguru was advertised as standing at Baerami Stud in NSW for $A7,150 including GST. Baerami Stud is where Rhythm now stands in Australia. I understand the stallion received relatively light support from Australian breeders who tend to prefer Australian raced sons of Danehill to Danzig line stallions, which have raced in Europe.

Chequers Stud

Chequers Stud have always been prepared to think outside the box when it comes to stallion selection. Jim Campin has been ready to try and prove a good racehorse as a sire even if from non-commercial sire line. Vice Regal (Bismark 11), Amalgam (Damascus), Prince Echo (Crowned Prince), Deputy Governor (Master Willie) and Green Perfume (Naevus) and to a lesser degree Bakharoff (The Minstrel) were all commercially brave calls in an increasingly conservative market place for stallions. Star Way and Sir Tristram both without a G1 race win and lacking fashionable pedigrees would not get a chance to start out at a major stud today.  So why would Jim Campin have chosen Ishiguru. Well unlike many of his earlier sires Ishiguru has a commercial pedigree and is from the fashionable Danzig sire line. His dam’s family is also currently hot in this part of the world as it is the family of Encosta de Lago and Flying Spur. Danzig over a  4 family mare is also the pattern of Bianconi who is emerging as a good sire in Australia.

Ishiguru being by Danzig and having another line of Natalma along with Ribot and 2 lines of Mr. Prospector in his dam has much in common with both Flying Spur and his sire Danehill. Ishiguru also has good pedigree connections with mares descending from Prince Echo, Deputy Governor, Bakharoff and to a lesser degree Green Perfume that he will be mated to from Chequers Stud families. Ishiguru as an early maturing horse bred on sprinter over sprinter lines will be well placed to put speed and earlier maturity into New Zealand mares.

Ishiguru’s Pedigree

Looking at Ishiguru’s pedigree reveals a son and daughter of Northern Dancer and four lines of Native Dancer. While this would hint at the usual Danzig 7 family pattern I suspect this is not the most likely pattern that will work for Ishiguru. The 2 lines of Mr. Prospector and 2 lines of Tourbillon in Strategic Maneuver are not enough to persuade me that the Isis, Ornis and Orion pattern is working either. My best guess is that a build up of 4 family lines in particular Alice Hawthorn is what is working in the case of Ishiguru. His dam is from the family 4 as is his broodmare sire Cryptoclearance. Danzig is also rich in 4 family lines.

Ishiguru has 7 lines of Nearco and 10 lines of Man O’War both of the 4 family. Reading down Ishiguru’s pedigree you see Nearco, Ribot, The Tetrarch (Thormanby), Hail to Reason, Abbot’s Trace, Fighting Fox, Olympia, Admiral’s Voyage, Casterari, Cryptoclearance, Teddy Wrack and Alaris all from the 4 family.

The 4 family in this part of the world has produced Defaulter, Intergaze, Balmerino, Beau Zam, Surround, Trial Offer, Starboard, Silver Bounty, Piko and Redcraze.

If the 4 family connection is the one that works for Ishiguru then he should not lack for opportunities.

Pedigree Lines To Use

Lines he will find useful include Star Way, Bassenthwaite and other sires with Habitat or Northfields, Heir Apparent II, Generous, Marscay, Marauding, Our Poetic Prince, and Rubiton. The Minstrel, Nijinsky, Storm Bird and Franfreluche (see Khozaam, Flying Spur, Encosta de Lago and Night Shift) are all close relations of Cold Reply, Ishiguru’s fourth dam. Whiskey Road would be a particularly good line to use, as would be Sunday Silence. Casual Lies, City on a Hill, Danroad, Generous, Howbaddouwantit, Indian Danehill, Prince Ferdinand and Van Nistelrooy are all 4 family sires.  Time and Again (sire of Il Tempo), Coronach, Head Hunter, Harleigh, Defaulter and Hasty Cloud were past stallions in New Zealand from the 4 family. Green Back the sire of Paper Money was also from this family.

The multiple lines of Turn To and Lavendula also suggest that Sir Gaylord and Sir Tristram lines may work. 

My conclusion is that for mares requiring an injection of speed and that either, trace to family 4 mares or who have multiple lines of the 4 family then Ishiguru deserves a chance.