|
|
    
|
by Nigel Pullen© Deauville in August proved to be a wonderful advertisement for the mare Myth To Reality (Sadler’s Wells – Millieme by Mill Reef – Hardiemma by Hardicanute), as within the space of a week her son Whipper (by Miesque’s Son) and daughter Divine Proportions (by Kingmambo) captured two of the most prestigious prizes on offer at the festival, the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois and Prix Morny. It is also a tribute to the Niarchos family who bred both the dam and respective sires of this duo. Myth To Reality’s third dam Hardiemma (Hardicanute – Grand Cross by Grandmaster) hailed from a branch of the Illuminata family that had been in the doldrums since the turn of the 20th century, and her pedigree was a complete outcross with no duplications in her first five generations. Unbeaten in three outings before a bad bout of the virus prevented him racing again, Hardiemma’s sire Hardicanute (Hard Ridden – Harvest Maid by Umidwar) was jet black with an Arab-like head, but at stud, apart from French Derby winner Hard To Beat, bred little of note. Grand Cross’s sole victory came courtesy of a six furlongs seller, and her daughter Hardiemma did little to enhance the family’s reputation by winning two minor events over seven and eleven furlongs. In the circumstances, it was surprising that she made as much as 12,000 guineas when sold to Lord Halifax at the 1973 Newmarket December Sales, in foal to the first season stallion Upper Case. Fortunately, Lord Halifax had a nomination to the Epsom Derby winner Mill Reef and sent Hardiemma to be covered by him in 1974. Hardiemma must have been one of the most plebeian of mares ever to visit Mill Reef, but the resulting offspring turned out to be one of his best runners, and most certainly his best stallion son. This foal was English and Irish Derby winner Shirley Heights, whose rugged physical type offered a stark contrast to the almost overly refined Mill Reef. Just three months after Shirley Heights’s classic triumphs his full sister entered the sales ring at Goffs. The daughter of Hardiemma now appeared at the head of everyone’s shopping list, and she became the top-price yearling filly of 1978 when secured by the British Bloodstock Agency for 250,000 guineas. Later named Millieme she was to become the dam of Myth To Reality, but not before displaying some ability as a racehorse. Although racing just four times in France, she finished runner-up in the listed Prix de la Cascade at Longchamp, and was also placed fourth in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs. The
pedigree of Millieme boasted no close duplications, but she was 3x3 to the
genetic relatives Nasrullah and Blue Cross. Nasrullah being by a son of Pharos
out of Mumtaz Begum who was by Blenheim II out of a mare by The Tetrarch, proved
a perfect foil for Millieme’s third dam Blue Cross, since she was by a son of
Pharos’s full brother Fairway out of a mare by King Salmon. Now King Salmon
was a half sister to Blenheim II by a son of The Tetrarch, and thus bred on the
reverse cross to Mumtaz Begum. However, it was perhaps the strain of
Hardiemma’s sire Hardicanute that supplied most interest. Mill Reef frequently
does well with mares displaying concentrations of Durban/Heldifann, Hermit/Maid
Of Masham and Sundridge/ Before
we continue with Millieme’s story it is worth mentioning that the family
fortunes certainly took an upward swing with the appearance of the humble mare
Hardiemma. Her descendants included the winners of a King George At stud Millieme bred seven winners, and undoubtedly the best were Casamasa, runner-up in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes, and his full sister Myth To Reality. Myth To Reality came from the first crop of the all-conquering Sadler’s Wells, and proved a tough racemare, winning four of her fourteen starts at distances from 2100 to 2400 metres, and boasting three listed victories, the Prix Ronde De Nuit, Prix Des Federations Regionales and Grand Prix De Nantes. She also finished runner-up in the Derby De L’Ouest and Group 3 Prix Minerve. Another member of that first crop of Sadler’s Wells was the subsequent Breeder’s Cup Turf winner In The Wings, and since he was out of a mare by Shirley Heights, claimed a very similar genetic heritage to Myth To Reality. Over the next few years this Sadler’s Wells/Shirley Heights nick was to result in a plethora of outstanding performers, including Group 1 winners Alberto Giacometti, Damson, Ebadiyla, Greek Dance, High Chaparral, Islington, Milan, Morshdi, Necklace, Quarter Moon, Subtle Power and Yesterday, so its deserves our attention. Most obviously it brings together the half brothers Bold Reason (maternal grandsire of Sadler’s Wells) and Never Bend (sire of Mill Reef), both sons of the mare Lalun. In fact their relationship was slightly closer for Never Bend’s sire Nasrullah was a three quarter brother to Bold Reason’s great grandsire Royal Charger. However, a further link to the Sadler’s Wells/Shirley Height’s nick was provided by Turn-To (grandsire of Bold Reason) and Hard Ridden (sire of Hardicanute). Both Turn-To and Hard Ridden traced tail-mare to Pharos, and both were out of Admiral Drake mares, so perhaps it was not solely the doubling-up of the mare Lalun, but in fact Lalun backed up by the relationship between Turn-To and Hard Ridden, that has made the Sadler’s Wells/Shirley Heights cross such a success. When retired to the paddocks Myth To Reality soon became a consistent producer of winners. Her first two foals, Sonofogy (by Ogyian) and Magic Spin (by Lord Avie) both recorded three wins in America. Her two foals by Alleged, Assos (a listed winner in France and G3 placed) and Fireinthewind (a three time winner in Argentine), enhanced her record, while her two foals by Kingmambo, Mambo Jambo (one win from 2 starts) and Indigo Myth (three wins and listed placed) ensured her first six foals all won races. In 1997 she visited the first season stallion Miesque’s Son, standing in Kentucky. Miesque’s Son’s racing record was nothing special, he recorded just one win for nine starts; but this victory was in the Group 3 Prix de Ris-Orangis over 1200 metres, and he finished runner-up at Group 1 level in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Prix de la Foret. However his big appeal lay in the fact that he was a full brother to upwardly mobile young stallion Kingmambo. The result of this mating was the colt Meteorite Sun the winner of one of his four starts in France, thus maintaining Myth To Reality’s 100% record as a broodmare. In the next two years Myth To Reality was barren and slipped a foal, and by the time she returned to Miesque’s Son in 2000, that stallions star was definitely on the wane. After covering a total of 63 mares in his first season, Miesque’s Son’s book dropped to just 15 in 2002, and after a switch to California in 2003, he found his way to France and the Haras des Chartreux for 2004, standing at a fee of 5,000 Euros. What the breeders did not know then was that the Miesque’s Son/Myth To Reality mating in 2000 would produce the Group 1 winning colt Whipper. There was very little interest in him in the sales ring; purchased for just $4,000 at Keeneland November Foal Sales, Whipper was led out unsold at Deauville the following August, but was bought privately afterwards for 30,000 Euros. He soon proved an excellent purchase for his seven race career at two contained three victories, including the Prix Morny (G1) and Criterium de Maison-Laffitte (G2), earning him an International Classification of 117, just four pounds behind the top-rated juvenile Bago. He made an impressive return at three, taking the listed Prix Djebel by eight lengths, and then appeared to find the mile too far when fifth in the English 2000 Guineas. Given a three month break he came back to finish a neck second to Somnus in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1), and the following week showed a mile was now well within his compass by defeating Six Perfections in the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1). Meanwhile Whipper’s year younger sister Divine Perfections (by Kingmambo) was quickly making a name for herself. Unbeaten after victories in the Prix du Bois (G3), Prix Robert Papin (G2) and Prix Morny (G1), she is now France’s leading young lady. The mating that produced both Whipper and Divine Proportions was certainly a fascinating one, as brought together the three quarter brothers Nureyev and Sadler’s Wells 3x2. This is not the first time these close relatives have conspired together, for they can be found in the Group winners Carry On Katie (G2), El Condor Pasa (G1), Fatal Attraction (G2), La Sylphide (G3), Puppeteer (G3), Trumbaka (G3) and Wellbeing (G3). However, there was plenty more of interest in the pedigree of Whipper and Divine Proportions, for it also features the 3x3 cross of Gold Digger and Mill Reef. This duo share a very similar genetic background of Nasrullah, Count Fleet, Blue Larkspur and Frizette. Mill Reef’s background was further reinforced by the mare Santa Quilla, who was the third dam of Miesque’s Son, for both shared strains of Blenheim II, Tourbillon, Princequillo and Count Fleet close up in their pedigree. Yet another back up to Mill Reef was provided by Miesque’s Son’s strain of Sanctus. The latter’s dam Sanelta being bred on the reverse Tourbillon, Teddy, Blenheim II, Mumtaz Mahal and Spearmint cross to Mill Reef’s sire Never Bend. But this was not quite all, for lurking in the pedigree of both Miesque’s Son and Kingmambo we find the mare Igual (the granddam of Miesque’s maternal grandsire Prove Out). What was so special about her? Well she proved a wonderful balance for Arbitrator, the third dam of Northern Dancer, who appeared 4x3 in the pedigree of Whipper and Divine Proportions. If you compare the pedigrees of Igual and Arbitrator you will find almost the reverse pattern of Peter Pan, Broomstick, Meddler, Chicle, Fair Play and Rock Sand. It was not just the duplication of Northern Dancer that was well balanced, but so too was the double of the mare Special, and this time the culprit was Nashua (maternal grandsire of Mr Prospector). Nashua was by Nasrullah out of a mare by Johnstown, while Special’s dam Thong was by Nantallah, a son of Nasrullah out of mare by Flares, the latter being a three quarter brother to the dam of Johnstown. Just to round things off nicely Thong’s granddam Dalmary was bred on very similar lines to Blenheim II, the maternal grandsire of Nasrullah, so Nashua and Thong had quite a lot in common. Myth To Reality’s current yearling is a filly by Mt Livermore, whose sire Blushing Groom has strong genetic links to both Mill Reef and Myth To Reality’s dam Millieme, so perhaps this time next year we will be hailing the tenth consecutive winner bred by this wonderful broodmare. Copyright Nigel Pullen 2004. |
