What has Tiger Moth (IRE) in common with Horse Of The Year Red Anchor, the champion Lady’s Secret, champion racehorses and stallions Blushing Groom, King Kamehameha, Mill Reef, Pipe Of Peace and Khaled? They all trace back to the hugely influential matron Black Ray.
That is unlikely to enthuse anyone to rush out and back the son of Galileo in Tuesday’s Lexus Melbourne Cup and quite frankly it is hard to make a case for him on pedigree alone.
Still, you must believe your eyes. Tiger Moth’s fighting second to Santiago in the Group 1 Irish Derby in June, followed by a four-length drubbing of a more than handy filly in Silence Please (Gleneagles) in the Group III Kilternan stakes at Leopardstown on September 12, sets the Galileo colt up nicely for Flemington.
One person with more than a passing interest in Tiger Moth is Jonathon Munz.
At the 2017 Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock / Badgers Bloodstock shelled out 380,000 on behalf of Munz for Puppetshow, a two year older sister to Tiger Moth (IRE), who had a positive test to Caravaggio (IRE).
A winner over a mile at Limerick and placed twice from nine starts, Puppetshow arrived in Australia in August last year and two months later was in foal to Snitzel. She foaled a colt by the 4-time Champion Australian stallion on September 23.
Another sister, the stakes-placed Butterscotch, draw a bid of 700,000 guineas at Tattersalls December sale last year.
The trio are out of Lesson In Humility (by the Storm Bird stallion Mujadil) who was an accomplished sprinter.
She had 15 starts for Karl Burke winning six races including the Group III Ballyogan Stakes at Leopardstown and was third in Art Connoisseur’s Golden Jubilee Stakes.
When Burke was disqualified for twelve months, Lesson In Humility had two starts for Burke’s father-in-law Alan Jarvis.
She finished third in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest before bowing out of racing with a fourth behind the Australian-bred War Artist in a Group II at Baden Baden.
Covered by Oasis Dream, Lesson In Humility was consigned to the tattersalls December in 2010 where she was knocked down to Hugo Merry Bloodstock for 670,000 guineas.
She subsequently foaled a colt named Coach House who was never off the board in five starts, all at two.
He won the Listed Marble Hill Stakes (5f) at The Curragh before running No Nay Never to a length in the Group II Norfolk Stakes (5f) at Ascot.
The career of Coach House came to a close when third in the Group II Railway Stakes (6f).
Lesson In Humility is a half-sister to the Group III Oh So Sharp Stakes (7f) winner Poet’s Vanity (Poet’s Voice) and to the Clodovil filly Boastful who was a Listed winner over a mile at Goodwood.
We will put out faith in Kerrin McEvoy to navigate a passage from barrier 23 to a fourth Melbourne Cup, and to the incomparable Galileo (IRE) and the maestro of Ballydoye Aidan O’Brien to ring up an overdue first in the great race.
