Cover image courtesy of Inglis
The Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale approaches, featuring 421 well-related yearlings boasting impressive local and international pedigrees. And something stands out amongst many of their pages; the incredible influence of one mare, the wonderful matriarch Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}).
Of course, sales ring influence is dictated by racetrack success and Dancing Show, imported to Australia in 1988 by Norman Carlyon on the advice of pedigree analyst Ken McLean, makes her mark on the local racing scene week in, week out.
Saturday, March 22 is a fine example. Group 1 contests in two cities on the same day won by relations. The G1 Golden Slipper Stakes going to Marhoona (Snitzel), the G1 William Reid Stakes to Schwarz (Zoustar).
Both high-class speedsters are descendants of Dancing Show and they have similar pedigrees; Marhoona bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Dancing Show whilst Schwarz is 4 X 4 X 4 her daughter Shantha's Choice (Canny Lad).
Dancing Show arrives in Australia
When Dancing Show made her way to Australian shores, she was in foal (to Southern Hemisphere time) to the G1 Prix de la Salamandre winner Miswaki (USA).
The late Miswaki (USA) | Image courtesy of Sporthorse-Data
Purchased from Carlyon by the Evening Star Breeding Venture, a small group of investors led by Robert Roulston, Dancing Show did not give her new owners the perfect start with the resultant foal born big and awkward.
So much so that he struggled to stand and suckle; needing so much assistance in his first 24 hours of life that putting him down was a considered option.
But his carers persevered and the colt, despite his somewhat ordinary legs, made it to the 1990 Dalgety Premier Yearling Sale, where Bill du Pont with his knowledge of American pedigrees was happy to lay down $18,000 for the horse he would name Umatilla (NZ).
Racing a dozen times at two, he bolted in with his Flemington debut, before heading to Perth and recording a similarly easy win in the G1 Karrakatta Plate. Back in Melbourne, he was second to Canonise in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes before placings in Sydney and a Listed win in Adelaide; he was a busy boy!
The late Umatilla (NZ) | Image courtesy of Blue Gum Farm
Adding four more wins to his record at three and four, including a Group 3 dash down the Flemington straight on Derby Day, Umatilla retired to Blue Gum Farm. During 17 seasons at stud he proved to be a reliable source of winners with 33 stakes winners, including the Group 1 gallopers Umrum, Streak, Umah, Bohemiath, Valedictum and Sincero (whose fourth dam was a full sister to Dancing Show's grandam).
Umatilla was also broodmare sire of 26 stakes winners, his three elite level winners including Scale Of Justice (Not A Single Doubt), the first Group 1 winner line-bred to Dancing Show.
Though it was six years previously that the great mare enjoyed her first stakes success as a line-breeding subject with Tranquility (Redoute's Choice) taking out the Listed La Trice Classic in Perth; she being a daughter of Umatilla's Listed Belmont Guineas winner Creatrix.
Dancing Show's next two foals sold better, the unraced Discoteque (Bletchingly) fetching $210,000 at the 1992 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and her Star Watch colt sold for $75,000 at the same sale a year later.
Hurricane hits the track
That horse was Hurricane Sky, who hit the track running winning three of his first four starts at two, emerging best from a memorable battle with Mr Vitality (Snippets) in the Blue Diamond.
Hurricane Sky when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
He was still in flying form at three, racing against the best of the older horses, with a win over March Hare (Marscay) in the G1 All-Aged Stakes one of the highlights of his career. At stud he proved a solid success with the G1 winners Divine Madonna, Desert Sky, Desert Eagle, and River Dove amongst his 20 stakes winners.
His daughters produced another 24 stakes winners, including the dual Group 1 winner Srikandi (Dubawi {Ire}).
It was Dancing Show's next foal who would enjoy the biggest impact. Whilst she raced only twice (a Seymour debut win and a close Sandown second), Shantha's Choice from the debut crop of Canny Lad was fast out of the barriers as a broodmare.
The late Shantha's Choice | Image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud
She was purchased at the 1994 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for a sale-topping $220,000 by Sri Lankan businessman Muzaffar Ali Yaseen. He was not in the breeding game at the time, but she looked a nice mare to kick off with and he fortuitously chose the rising star Danehill (USA) as her first mate.
Redoute's Choice, of course
And that horse is, of course, Redoute's Choice.
Dancing Show's next foal Show Dancing (Don't Say Halo {USA}) would also prove her worth as a broodmare, producing the G1 Australian Guineas winner Al Maher (sire of 21 stakes winners including five Group 1 winners) and the G3 Fernhill Handicap winner Salameh (Secret Savings {USA}), grandam of Marhoona.
Dancing Show's next filly Twyla (Danehill) has four Group 1-winning descendants, the latest of those being the in-form Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}).
The late Redoute's Choice | Image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud
In total, Dancing Show has 45 stakes winning descendants, 13 of those being Group 1 winners. A 71.2 per cent winners-to-runners strike rate; 11.1 per cent stakes winners.
Aside from the big race winners already mentioned, she is also ancestress of Platinum Scissors, Gathering (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), Manhattan Rain, Shoals (Fastnet Rock), In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), and Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai).
Dancing Show has had 15 male descendants stand at stud; Redoute's Choice is obviously the star, but Umatilla, Hurricane Sky, Al Maher, Manhattan Rain, and Rubick have all sired Group 1 winners (58 between them), whilst Echoes Of Heaven, Platinum Scissors, and Niagara have had stakes winners.
Easter descendants
Testament to the ongoing commercial appeal of the Dancing Show family, she has 10 direct descendants due to go through the Easter ring:
Lot 39 - Snitzel x Madam Legend (I Am Invincible), filly - on account of Cressfield
Bred on a 4 X 4 Dancing Show cross, she is the first foal for a G3 Tibbie Stakes winner who fetched $250,000 as a yearling and $900,000 as a broodmare.
Lot 39 - Snitzel x Madam Legend (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 57 - I Am Invincible x Meuse (Snitzel), colt - on account of Widden Stud
The second foal for a Listed Laelia Stakes winner, who is bred on a 3 X 3 cross of Shantha's Choice. A $1.2 million broodmare, her first - yet to race - foal Charleroi (Dundeel {NZ}) sold for $360,000 at this sale two years ago.
Lot 57 - I Am Invincible x Meuse (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 89 - Stay Inside x Notting Hill (Pierro), filly - on account of Yarraman Park Stud
Bred on a 5 X 3 cross of Shantha's Choice, she is out of a $1.4 million yearling who won two of four starts. Her yet to race 2-year-old Thalestris (I Am Invincible) fetched $1.8 million at this sale last year.
Lot 89 - Stay Inside x Notting Hill (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 124 - Ole Kirk x Roam Free (Deep Field), filly - on account of Kenmore Lodge
Second foal for a half-sister to the Group 3 galloper Summer Monsoon (Stratum) whose yet to race first foal Queen Of Russia (Russian Revolution) sold for $200,000 at lat year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She carries a 7 X 7 cross of Dancing Show's grandam Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}).
Lot 124 - Ole Kirk x Roam Free (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 140 - St Mark's Basilica (Fr) x Savourer (Snitzel), colt - on account of Willow Park Stud
First foal for a $330,000 Easter yearling (3 X 3 Shantha's Choice), who is a half-sister to the Listed winner Sangria (I Am Invincible).
Lot 140 - St Mark's Basilica (Fr) x Savourer (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 156 - Maurice (Jpn) x Shoals (Fastnet Rock), filly - on account of Arrowfield Stud
A half-sister to the G3 Begonia Belle Stakes winner Isthmus (I Am Invincible) out of a triple Group 1 winner, who has already had a $1 million yearling sale result.
Lot 156 - Maurice (Jpn) x Shoals (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 198 - Zoustar x Summer Sham (Not A Single Doubt), colt - on account of Widden Stud
Lot 198 - Zoustar x Summer Sham (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
A full brother to Schwarz (a $1.25 million yearling) out of a G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes winner, whose 2-year-old Tuscany (Zoustar) fetched $1.55 million at this sale last year. He is bred on a 3 X 3 cross of Redoute's Choice and a 4 X 4 X 4 cross of Shantha's Choice.
Lot 218 - Maurice (Jpn) x The Broken Shore (Hussonet {USA}), colt - on account of Arrowfield Stud
A half-brother to Shoals (Fastnet Rock) and the Listed winner Groundswell (Fastnet Rock) (a $2.3 million Easter yearling) out of a $1.9 million broodmare, whose 2-year-old Chicama (Written Tycoon) sold for $1.35 million here last year.
Lot 224 - Pinatubo (Ire) x Tides (Fastnet Rock), filly - on account of Arrowfield Stud
Lot 224 - Pinatubo (Ire) x Tides (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
The 2-year-old Columbus (Dundeel {NZ}) out of Tides (Fastnet Rock), a city-winning full sister to Shoals, fetched $1.5 million at this sale last year.
Lot 249 - Wootton Bassett (GB) x Visenya (Fastnet Rock), filly - on account of Lime Country Thoroughbreds
Lot 249 - Wootton Bassett (GB) x Visenya (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Her placed dam is a half-sister to the dam of the Listed winner Itza Charmdeel (Charm Spirit {Ire}). Her grandam is a full sister to Rubick.
Also of interest are others line-bred to Dancing Show; Lot 142 has three strains being by Snitzel, whilst her grandam is by Al Maher out of a Umatilla mare. Additionally, her damsire Written Tycoon's great grandsire Try My Best (USA) is a grandson of Dancing Show's grandam Best In Show.
Lots 174 and 186 by Stay Inside and Snitzel have Umatilla as their second damsire, whilst Lot 263 by Snitzel has Hurricane Sky as her second damsire.
Gallery: Lots by Snitzel with Dancing Show's sons as damsires, images courtesy of Inglis
Dancing Show's influence on the Easter sale extends again via the numbers of yearlings with Redoute's Choice in their pedigree; he is broodmare sire of 15, second damsire of another 12, and third damsire of another, as well as the sire of damsires in two yearlings.
There are 16 that are line-bred to Redoute's Choice, and there are also yearlings by his sons King's Legacy (one), Ardrossan (one), The Autumn Sun (13), Alabama Express (one), and Snitzel (45).
Snitzel's sons Wild Ruler (two), Trapeze Artist (one), Shamus Award (one) and Russian Revolution (two) are also represented, whilst Snitzel is damsire of 20 yearlings and second damsire of another four.
Snitzel | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Shamus Award also appears once as a broodmare sire, and Not A Single Doubt makes an appearance 13 times. The latter also has sons and a grandson with yearlings; Farnan (11), Extreme Choice (13), and Stay Inside (12).
Zoustar, son of a Redoute's Choice mare, has 36 yearlings and is damsire of another four, whilst his son Zousain has three going through the ring. Super Seth is also out of a Redoute's Choice mare and he has one entry in the catalogue.
Al Maher, Umatilla, and Hurricane Sky also feature in the catalogue; in the pedigrees of eight horses.
All up there are 267 horses in the catalogue with Dancing Show in their pedigrees; an amazing 63.4 per cent of the total.
So this show will be dancing on for some time yet!
