Coco Chanel is famous for a great quote, “Fashion comes and goes, but style lasts forever” and it made me think about the pedigrees of our two Group I winning sprinters from last Saturday that may be deemed by a modern commercial breeder or an auction house as somewhat unfashionable.
$2.6 million earning sprinter Eduardo claimed his second Group I win in the Doomben Ten Thousand and is the only Group I winner by his sire Host (Chi), who died in 2020.
He came to Australia when every second stud was looking to stand a son of Hussonet (USA)… do people remember names like Trotamondo, El Cumbres, Byblos and even Husson, who remains on the Aquis Queensland roster at a fee of $4,400.
They largely went out of fashion after their first few years at stud and when Eduardo was conceived his breeder paid just $5,000 for the service to Host.
Eduardo’s dam Blushing was bought by his breeder Jane Kaufmann for $4,000 out of the Inglis March Thoroughbred Sale in 2010, so essentially Eduardo cost $9,000 to breed!
While his pedigree may not be ‘fashionable’ it features quality bloodlines as seen in the tabulation below.
Fantastic Light was the European Horse of the Year in 2001 and shuttled to Darley Australia for four seasons initially in 2002 at a fee of $38,500.
A champion sire he was not, although Fantastic Light did sire 29 stakes-winners worldwide including two Group I winners, but has really found his mojo as a broodmare sire producing the dams of 43 stakes-winners including six Group I winners as well as Everest hero Yes Yes Yes.
If you’ve got a mare by Fantastic Light, then you’re cooking with gas!
Eduardo’s second dam is by terrific shuttler Dehere (USA) and his next dam is by champion sire Bletchingly, so nothing not to like there and his tail female line features Group III winning sprinter Peggy Ann as his third dam and her dam is the former Bob Thomsen trained darling Avon Angel, who was the glamour mare of her time and won the Group I STC Rosemount Wines Classic, now the Coolmore Classic.
The story of unheralded sprinter Savatoxl and his rise from the dusty circuits of Alice Springs and Darwin to winning a Group I sprint has been well covered, but what of his pedigree?
Like Eduardo, he is the only Group I winner for his sire Kuroshio, a speedy and well bred son of Exceed and Excel, who was given his chance at stud by Darley, who stood him in Victoria for five seasons and shuttled him to Europe where he remains.
Kuroshio hangs his hat these days at Starfield Stud in Ireland and covered close to 130 mares last year and stands this year at a fee of 6,000 euros.
The dam of Savatoxl, Li’l Miss Hayley was bought by his breeders Mark and Sheryl Atkinson for just $5,000 at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Broodmare Sale after making $280,000 as an Inglis Easter yearling three years before.
They went to Kuroshio in his first year at stud at a fee of $8,800, so the Group I winner cost a princely $13,800 to breed.
Savatoxl’s dam is by champion sire Savabeel and her dam is by champion sire Sadler’s Wells, while his third dam is US Group I winner Aptostar, who has spawned an impressive dynasty of international stakes-winners that include Group I Irish St Leger winner Royal Diamond and a host of other serious Group winners.
This is the pedigree of a yearling that made just $8,000 at the Inglis Gold Yearling Sale in 2017, Alice Springs Turf Club obviously got a lot of bang for their buck!
For breeders that dream big and aspire to create that elusive Group I winner on a budget Eduardo and Savatoxl show it can be done and that quality of blood can overcome fashion!
