The Scenic phenomenon

SCEN IC BLAST in classic pose. To purchase this beautifully framed image, visit www.portraitofachampion.com.au.

Issue 14, June 18, 2009

While Scenic, who died in 2005, has been sadly lost to our breeding industry, his bloodlines will live on.

Scenic’s last sprinting son with stallion prospects, Universal Ruler (b h 2004, ex Rulings, by Hurricane Sky), is in his final campaign after resurrecting a racing career that launched to dizzy expectations after a debut in which he failed to beat a runner home in a 2YO Handicap (1200m, Ascot) in January 2007.

Universal Ruler returned to racing six weeks later to string together six consecutive wins, including the Listed Perth Stakes (1200m, 2YOs, Ascot). The winning run stopped when Universal Ruler finished eighth behind Takeover Target in the Group 1 2008 KrisFlyer Stakes (WFA 1200m) at Kranji in Singapore.

Universal Ruler failed to recapture his form on returning to Perth. In January 2009, he hit a low point when he finished last in a 1300m sprint at Geraldton. After a break, Universal Ruler finally hit his straps to win his two return starts at Belmont, including the Group 3 Belmont Sprint (1400m) last Saturday.

Universal Ruler is yet another product of the mating of Scenic over a mare with Biscay blood. Seven of Scenic’s 13 Group 1 winners carry the cross – Blevic, Universal Prince, Universal Queen, Episode, Coniston Bluebird, Lord Essex and Scenic Peak.

Universal Ruler is from a mare by Biscay’s great-grandson Hurricane Sky (by Star Watch, by Bletchingly)

Scenic Blast’s magnificent win in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot, not only confirmed Australia’s place as the premier source of turf sprinters, but also further emphasised the incredible versatility of his sire Scenic.

I struggle to find any valid reason from Scenic Blast’s female pedigree that he should be ranked as one of the world’s best sprinters – he boasts an Oaks winner and an Oaks runner-up in his first four dams. The acceleration must come from the innate ability of Scenic to sire Group 1 horses over all distances.

This season alone, Scenic, who died in 2005, has sired the Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner (3200m) Viewed, Australia’s star sprinter, Scenic Blast, Group 1 winner Scenic Shot (Doomben Cup, 2020m) and the Group 1 NZ Derby (2400m)winner Coniston Bluebird.

Scenic Blast is an extreme athlete, big and strong, but he is built more like a 1600m – as shown in the picture above – horse than a muscular, short-coupled sprinter. And importantly, SB is brilliantly trained by Dan Morton, who recognises that keeping the flashy, white-marked bay (he throws to Scenic’s sire Sadler’s Wells) fresh and “on the boil” is one reason for their amazing success.

Scenic Blast’s dam Daughter’s Charm (by Delgado) was a more than capable racehorse. She was runner-up in the 1990 Group 2 WA Oaks (2400m), and she also produced the 2008 Group 1 Railway Stakes winner Gilded Venom (by Golden Snake), who is now deceased. Daughter’s Charm got her staying ability through her third dam, 1959 Group 1 SA Oaks (2400m) winner Rose Of Summer (by Summertime).

Further speed was injected into Scenic Blast’s pedigree when Rose Of Summer was mated to Hawa (by Golden Cloud) to produce Lorriane Lee, who when mated to Lindsay Park’s fast Romantic (by Princely Gift) produced Scenic Blast’s granddam Romantic’s Daughter.

This is not the first time that Scenic has sired a Group 1 sprinter “out of the blue”. While is son Universal Prince (b h 1997, ex Biscay Bird, by Bluebird (USA)) won the 2001 Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m), the sister to the colt, Univerval Queen was all speed, winning the 2007 Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m).

Of course, Scenic also appears in the pedigree of the 2009 Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready, who is from a mare by Scenic’s Group 1 Victoria Derby (2400m) winning son Blevic.

DANNY POWER

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

Delzao’s first winner Banderilla provided Delzao with his first winner, when she scored an easy five lengths win in the first race run on Morphettville’s new inside track on Wednesday.

The 2YO filly, trained by former jockey Jon O’Connor, looks to have a bright future – and certainly one different from her famous half-brother, champion jumper Some Are Bent (br g 2001, by Distorted Humor (USA)).

Both Banderilla and Some Are Bent are from the mare Summer Gambit, a 1990 daughter of Bestebreuje (IRE) (by Try My Best (USA)) from Leisure Dollar (by Millionaire (IRE)).

It’s a family thin for Black Type winners, but certainly one not lacking in the ability to produce winners. Some Are Bent’s half-brother, the 3YO gelding Black And Bent (by Black Hawk (GB)) also is a winner over jumps this season.

Delzao (bay horse, 2000) is one of the best sons of Encosta De Lago to race in Australia, and while his best win was the 2004 Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley, his most memorable performance was his second to the great Lonhro in the 2004 Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington, when he burst clear and looked the winner, before Lonhro “got off the deck” to nail Delzao on the line.

Delzao (ex Amanusa, by Alzao), a rig (one testicle), started his stud career at Paringa Park, near Murchison, where he covered 101 mares in his first season. Delzao now resides at Eliza Park, Kerrie. His 2009 fee is $5500 (inc. GST).

Mazzacano – the shoe fits Greg Mance is a man not only with an eye for a good shoe, but also a pedigree page.

Mance, who founded the successful footwear company Windsor Smith before embarking on a career as a horse trainer of considerable note – he trained Cole Diesel to win the 1989 Group 1 Caulfield Cup.

Wealth doesn’t make a happy man, but it can help a man like Mance to invest in his passion for horses, particularly a passion for breeding from a pedigree plan.

Mazzacano (b g 2000, King Ivor–Festival Rose (NZ), by Gleam Machine (USA)), the wonderful winner of his second Australian Steeplechase, first-up after a two-year break from racing, is a product of Mance’s hours of pedigree study.

Mance had retired the unraced Festival Rose (b m 1986, ex–Sharon Jane (NZ), by Battle-Waggon (GB)) and bred her to his resident sire Run Riot (b h 1984, Straight Strike (USA)–Liolani (NZ), by Sir Tristram (IRE)) before her half-sister Let’s Elope (by Nassipour (USA)) had raced. By the end of

1991, Mance was sitting on a half-sister to a Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner. In 1993, Mance sent Festival Rose to Nassipour in New Zealand to get a three-part sister to Let’s Elope. The result was Love To Party – one win from 10 starts.

It wasn’t until Festival Rose was bred to the smart sprinter-miler King Ivor (by Fairy King, by Northern Dancer), which produced Mazzacano, that Mance has reward from the fruits of this famous pedigree. Mance chose King Ivor because of the fact Gleam Machine’s granddam Cosmah is a half-sister to Northern Dancer’s famous dam Natalma – and in-breeding to this family has proven to be wonderfully successful – think Danehill.

Yankee raiders shock the Poms The successful raid on Royal Ascot by American trainer Wesley Ward – who in the first two days has won two of the feature races for 2YOs – not only makes Australian breeders wonder about the depth of the juvenile form in England and Ireland, but also draw attention the North American 2YOs have a simlar precocity to ours.

Ward has travelled to Royal Ascot with six horses, including five 2YOs. He became the first American trainer to win at Royal Ascot when Strike The Tiger (by Tiger Ridge) won the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes (1000m), and on day two, his filly Jealous Again (by Trippi) streeted her rivals to win the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes (1000m).

The success of the American babies will have pleased the crew at famous Widden Stud, Hunter Valley, who is standing one of America’s greatest 2YOs War Pass – an undefeated 2YO rated as the fastest ever juvenile according to the renowned Beyer Speed Figures – standing his first season.

War Pass, by Cherokee Run (by Runaway Groom), is the highest rated Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner in the last 20 years.

War Pass offers Australian breeders access to a pedigree free of Northern Dancer blood. His sire Cherokee Run is the fastest link to the Blushing Groom line. Cherokee Run was a Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner who is proving the best source of tough, juvenile speed in North America.

War Pass, who is from the Mr. Prospector mare Vue, who is closely related (blood sister) to Arrowfield’s star Hussonet.

War Pass stands at a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST).

Famous family Tiger Ridge (by Storm Cat), the sire of Royal Ascot winner Strike The Tiger, is a half-brother to Emirates Park’s new sire Eavesdrop pe r (b h 2000, Kingmambo–Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat), who will stand at a fee of $5500 (including GST) in NSW.

Both your stallions are half-brothers to champion racehorses and sires A P Indy (by Seattle Slew) and Summer Squall (by Storm Bird).

Caulfield Cup

DANNY POWER

DELZAO: The son of Encosta De Lago sired his first winner during the week.