Our ‘Nicks that Click’ stories are some of the most popular on Breednet so we thought in the lead up to Magic Millions and before the majority of yearling images are uploaded we’d assess the pedigrees and see what jumps off the page as a horse we just can’t wait to see!
The following horses are selected with no consideration to vendor or type and strictly appeal from what is on the page.
Lot 3 Filly Written Tycoon x Unreal Deal, by Redoute’s Choice – Torryburn Stud
Written Tycoon x Redoute’s Choice is a nick on an upswing and is a modern extension of the old Redoute’s Choice x Last Tycoon nick which was and is super successful.
Written Tycoon x Redoute’s Choice in a non-grid-based report comes in at 71% winners to runners and 10.5% stakes-winners to runners with Group I winner La Luna Rossa the best. Interestingly the direct cross of Written Tycoon over mares by Redoute’s Choice has delivered 16 winners from 16 runners with Group III winner Teleplay the best.
Add to that the fact this filly comes from an outstanding Black Type family producing G1 winners Grand Armee, Dealer Principal and Yourdeel and you can see why she’s on the list.
Lot 24 Filly American Pharaoh (USA) x Vivi Veloce , by More Than Ready (USA) – Bhima Thoroughbreds
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will be a pedigree puzzle for Australian breeders to work out and given the results he has achieved so far this year in the Northern Hemisphere with his first crop it’s going to be a puzzle well worth solving.
American Pharoah has had one runner from a More than Ready mare and he’s his best horse Four Wheel Drive, who won the Group II Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. Given the reliability of this filly’s family to produce stakes-winners to all sorts of stallions I’m liking her a lot.
Lot 36 Colt Frankel x We Can Say It Now, by Starcraft – Canning Downs Stud
Frankel has emerged has a seriously good sire as he should given the quality of mare he’s covered and his freakish ability. His stakes-winner to runner strike rate is 16.1% stakes-winners to runners!
What’s interesting is that Frankel has a real affinity with mares carrying Nureyev blood as does this colt and that nick runs at 18.5% stakes-winners to runners and the 13 stakes-winners bred this way include three Group I winners headed by Cracksman.
This colt is the only Frankel in the sale and his dam was an outstanding Group I winner that has had three foals to race all winners by champion sires in Europe. Is hard not to think this colt will win a race, it’s just a matter of how good a race and how many!
Lot 67 Colt Snitzel x Adelie, by Red Ransom (USA) – Cressfield
A colt by champion sire Snitzel from an A grade family such is this is always going to hold appeal, but particularly interesting the Snitzel x Red Ransom nick which runs at 14.4% stakes-winners to runners and includes his Golden Slipper winner Estijaab and champion three year-old sprinter Trapeze Artist.
Snitzel’s overall stakes-winner to runner ratio is 8.9% so there’s some food for thought.
Lot 81 Colt I Am Invincible x Amelia’s Dream, by Redoute’s Choice – Element Hill
A while ago we did a story on Breednet highlighting the similarities in pedigree between two of I am Invincible’s star performers in Libertini and Brazen Beau (read it here) .
The pedigree of this colt very much fits that profile and his mother was exceptional. Anyone that was there the day Amelia’s Dream won the Silver Slipper will remember it well and it is very doubtful Sebring would have won his Golden Slipper if she had not broken down immediately after that win.
Amelia’s Dream has done a very good but not great job at stud, but this is her first mating to I am Invincible and it might be a game changer.
Lot 92 Colt Written Tycoon x Angel’s Choice, by Redoute’s Choice – Newhaven Park
This is the male version of the previously mentioned Lot 3 and we like him for all the same reasons, a great nick and a bullet proof stakes family that consistently produces quality performers.
Lot 97 Filly Fastnet Rock x Arianne, by Zabeel – Widden Stud
It’s an oldie, but a goodie, the direct cross of Fastnet Rock over daughters of Zabeel runs at 12.9% stakes-winners to runners and has produced three Group I winners headed by Atlantic Jewel.
So it is a better stakes-winner to runner strike rate than Fastnet Rock’s overall figure of 8.8%.
When you look at Fastnet Rock and Zabeel on a broader base the SW to runner ratio is nowhere near as impressive as has been watered down by the large number of Fastnet Rock sons at stud, but in it’s true form it’s a very positive factor.
More to follow in coming days.