Pedigree and performance in racing
Pedigree is the backbone for any race horse to perform to classic potential. But is pedigree good enough to ensure performance? Quite often, modestly bred horses have proved everyone wrong and gone on achieve glory that was considered beyond their compass. What are the factors that race goers have to keep in mind while assessing a horse?
Americans believe that proof of performance is pedigree while in Europe the reverse is the mantra. They believe that pedigree is proof of performance. These two conflicting theories also guide the mindset of breeders in these places. In USA, they don’t hesitate to breed with top stallions if the horse concerned has achieved laurels in racing even if he does not command blue blood in the traditional sense. In Europe, a horse must have both pedigree and performance in order to be entertained by top stud farms. What factors should weigh in the minds of race goers in order to decide their fancies in classic races?
Almost every horse which runs in a classic has some connection with classic performers. Quite often, full brothers and sisters are blessed with totally contrasting abilities. For example, we have had Sweeping Success who proved her mettle over longer trips and went on to win the Indian Turf Invitation Cup over a mile and half while her full sister Lady One did not perform well beyond the six furlong trip. Somebody like Jacqueline was not expected to perform over longer trips but she went on to win the Oaks and the Indian Derby. Similarly, Becket was considered brilliant only up to a mile but he proved his mettle over 2400 trip and is underperforming over shorter trips after his speed has been blunted by running over longer trips for most part of his career.
Colts classic winner Speed Six missed winning the Colts Championship Stakes by a whisker. His full brothers and sisters had fallen by the wayside after a promising start to their career. As such, one does not have a clue whether these horses are capable of getting longer trips or they should be confined to sprints only. Speed Six has got the mile long trip well and he should be able to tackle the extended trip of mile and quarter with equal felicity. Since there is great influence of speed and less of staying ability if one were to dissect the pedigree, can one ignore his chances in the Derby? Surely, his built and ability to settle suggests that he should be able to get the extra trip on sheer class. His loss in the Colts Championship was certainly not due to his inability to get the mile long trip because he beat horses bred to stay pointless. Merely because a horse comes with a certificate that it will stay is no guarantee for its performance over longer trips. Ability is the crucial ingredient that determines the performance capability of a horse. On this score, Speed Six who is a well built son of Burden of Proof out of a multi-classic winning dam Six Speed should tackle the mile and quarter trip without any problem. Incidentally, Six Speed excelled over the Guineas trip but lost by the proverbial whisker in the Bangalore Derby to Allaire in a finish reminiscent of the one witnessed between Speed Six and Pronto Pronto.
The small made Pronto Pronto has proved to be an outstanding performer and has defied expectations each time he has raced. The dam of Pronto Pronto has had two of her progeny race thus far. Pronto Pronto has proved to be outstanding but one is not sure whether his pedigree can take him farther than a mile. His half-brother Royalty (by Royal Kingdom) has thus far run only over shorter trips. Even in the case of Pronto Pronto, one has to go with his ability rather than pedigree in determining his capability to tackle the mile and quarter trip.
The Fillies Champion Stakes winner Lovely Kiss is by Rebuttal out of Raisin. The latter has foaled Isinbayeva who is a poorly performed race horse. The classic winning performance of Lovely Kiss is against all expectations, with her sire Rebuttal being a strong influence on her performance4. Lovely Kiss has won the mile long trip with ease and she should get the extended trip based on her ability if not on her pedigree.
There are horses like Star Marquees which are bred to stay but the question is about the speed factor when he takes on horses with ability to change gear. His pedigree alone cannot guarantee performance though one can run him in longer trip in the safe assumption that he will stay the trip and may overhaul the horses with better class when it boils down to stamina factors than speed parameters.
The pedigree experts may reel off tons of material proving a horses staying ability or the lack of it, ultimately the proof of it is in performance. Indian history is replete with instances of horses which are reckoned as sprinter milers going on to win Derbys even over the winter Derby trip of mile and half. The same trend is likely to continue even though we may believe that the present lot of horses involved in the Bangalore Derby may not cut ice over longer trips in winter.
Americans believe that proof of performance is pedigree while in Europe the reverse is the mantra. They believe that pedigree is proof of performance. These two conflicting theories also guide the mindset of breeders in these places. In USA, they don’t hesitate to breed with top stallions if the horse concerned has achieved laurels in racing even if he does not command blue blood in the traditional sense. In Europe, a horse must have both pedigree and performance in order to be entertained by top stud farms. What factors should weigh in the minds of race goers in order to decide their fancies in classic races?
Almost every horse which runs in a classic has some connection with classic performers. Quite often, full brothers and sisters are blessed with totally contrasting abilities. For example, we have had Sweeping Success who proved her mettle over longer trips and went on to win the Indian Turf Invitation Cup over a mile and half while her full sister Lady One did not perform well beyond the six furlong trip. Somebody like Jacqueline was not expected to perform over longer trips but she went on to win the Oaks and the Indian Derby. Similarly, Becket was considered brilliant only up to a mile but he proved his mettle over 2400 trip and is underperforming over shorter trips after his speed has been blunted by running over longer trips for most part of his career.
Colts classic winner Speed Six missed winning the Colts Championship Stakes by a whisker. His full brothers and sisters had fallen by the wayside after a promising start to their career. As such, one does not have a clue whether these horses are capable of getting longer trips or they should be confined to sprints only. Speed Six has got the mile long trip well and he should be able to tackle the extended trip of mile and quarter with equal felicity. Since there is great influence of speed and less of staying ability if one were to dissect the pedigree, can one ignore his chances in the Derby? Surely, his built and ability to settle suggests that he should be able to get the extra trip on sheer class. His loss in the Colts Championship was certainly not due to his inability to get the mile long trip because he beat horses bred to stay pointless. Merely because a horse comes with a certificate that it will stay is no guarantee for its performance over longer trips. Ability is the crucial ingredient that determines the performance capability of a horse. On this score, Speed Six who is a well built son of Burden of Proof out of a multi-classic winning dam Six Speed should tackle the mile and quarter trip without any problem. Incidentally, Six Speed excelled over the Guineas trip but lost by the proverbial whisker in the Bangalore Derby to Allaire in a finish reminiscent of the one witnessed between Speed Six and Pronto Pronto.
The small made Pronto Pronto has proved to be an outstanding performer and has defied expectations each time he has raced. The dam of Pronto Pronto has had two of her progeny race thus far. Pronto Pronto has proved to be outstanding but one is not sure whether his pedigree can take him farther than a mile. His half-brother Royalty (by Royal Kingdom) has thus far run only over shorter trips. Even in the case of Pronto Pronto, one has to go with his ability rather than pedigree in determining his capability to tackle the mile and quarter trip.
The Fillies Champion Stakes winner Lovely Kiss is by Rebuttal out of Raisin. The latter has foaled Isinbayeva who is a poorly performed race horse. The classic winning performance of Lovely Kiss is against all expectations, with her sire Rebuttal being a strong influence on her performance4. Lovely Kiss has won the mile long trip with ease and she should get the extended trip based on her ability if not on her pedigree.
There are horses like Star Marquees which are bred to stay but the question is about the speed factor when he takes on horses with ability to change gear. His pedigree alone cannot guarantee performance though one can run him in longer trip in the safe assumption that he will stay the trip and may overhaul the horses with better class when it boils down to stamina factors than speed parameters.
The pedigree experts may reel off tons of material proving a horses staying ability or the lack of it, ultimately the proof of it is in performance. Indian history is replete with instances of horses which are reckoned as sprinter milers going on to win Derbys even over the winter Derby trip of mile and half. The same trend is likely to continue even though we may believe that the present lot of horses involved in the Bangalore Derby may not cut ice over longer trips in winter.
good post sharan .
ReplyDeleteLoved the way the issue has been
dissected. Its time you discussed the subject of jockeys. Many a time the races are won and lost due to poor saddle skills displayed.
all things being equal the quality of the jockey matters a lot at the winning post. Padmanbhan has compromised by using ashad asbar who has no clue of what to do.