He probably should have won the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes two years ago had he been allowed to start and Pedigree Dynamics' Jane Henning cannot resist the unique pedigree challenge presented by Swettenham Stud new recruit Lofty Strike.
LOFTY STRIKE’S BEST PAIRINGS - By Jane Henning, Pedigree Dynamics
Lofty Strike represents the next generation of arguably the most successful sire line in Australian history. His sire Snitzel, grandsire Redoute’s Choice and great-grandsire Danehill are all Champion Australian stallions.
He is out of Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Overreach and his first three damsires are also pillars of the Australian breeding industry, namely Exceed and Excel, Snippets and Rory’s Jester.
Inbred to Danehill 3m x 3m and Snippets 3f x 3f, he may appear a challenge at first glance, but as evidenced in the following article, there is no shortage of eligible broodmare sires to utilise with the Swettenham Stud freshie without tying your matings into a genetic knot.
Lofty Strike’s sire Snitzel has worked very well with mares by ZABEEL and his male descendants. Daughters of Zabeel and his sons SAVABEEL, OCTAGONAL (son LONHRO, grandsons PIERRO, DENMAN, SWEYNESSE, IMPENDING, etc) and RESET are all appealing mates for Lofty Strike.
Snitzel has also shown above average affinity with other mares by sires free of Danehill including daughters of RED RANSOM (sons DOMESDAY, DUPORTH, CHARGE FORWARD, SRI PEKAN etc); NEDIYM; ELUSIVE QUALITY (sons SEPOY, BULLBARS); FUSAICHI PEGASUS; TALE OF THE CAT; LAST TYCOON (sons BIGSTONE, MONDE BLEU, MARJU, IGLESIA, O’REILLY – grandsons WRITTEN TYCOON, GRUNT, SHAMEXPRESS, ALAMOSA); HIGH CHAPARRAL (sons DUNDEEL, TORONADO, SO YOU THINK, CONTRIBUTER etc); I AM INVINCIBLE; BEL ESPRIT and STARCRAFT.
ENCOSTA DE LAGO mares have also had success with Snitzel, with the Group 1 winner Invader being bred on this cross. Encosta de Lago’s sire descendants include NORTHERN METEOR, DEEP FIELD, ZOUSTAR and MANHATTAN RAIN.
Duplication of Storm Bird (second damsire of Snitzel) has worked well for the sire, with G1 winners Trapeze Artist, Duais, In the Congo and Yearning carrying this pattern. Broodmare sires such as DOMESDAY (who also reinforces the tail female line of Redoute’s Choice), POSTPONED, BLUEBIRD, HENNESSY (and male descendants JOHANNESBURG, SCAT DADDY, JUSTIFY, CARAVAGGIO and NO NAY NEVER), GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (and descendants SHAMARDAL, PUISSANCE DE LUNE and LOPE DE VEGA), BLACK MINNALOUSHE, VAN NISTELROOY and tale of the cat carry Storm Bird. Johannesburg’s son TURFFONTEIN has the additional asset of being from the same tail female line as Lofty Strike, both being descendants of ROYAL NEWS.
HALO line broodmares are also desirable. A close tail female relation to Danehill (twice) and Northern Dancer (8 lines in Lofty Strike’s pedigree), Halo can be found via daughters / granddaughters of MORE THAN READY (and son BETTER THAN READY), DON’T SAY HALO, FUJI KISEKI, SOUTHERN IMAGE, DUBLEO and irgun.
SUNDAY SILENCE is another son of Halo with sire descendants with daughters in Australasia. They include DEEP IMPACT (sons MIKKI ISLE, STAPHANOS, REAL IMPACT, SATONO ALADDIN), FUJI KISEKI, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, KEEP THE FAITH, HEART’S CRY, TOSEN PHANTOM (son BRAVE SMASH), TAYASU TSUYOSHI and ZENNO ROB ROY.
MACHIAVELLIAN is not only another distaff relation of Danehill, but he is also out of a daughter of Halo. Descendants to seek for Lofty Strike include STREET CRY, STREET BOSS, PER INCANTO, STREET SENSE and VETTORI.
The Mr Prospector line has enjoyed success with Danehill. Descendants include AMERICAN PHAROAH, HUSSONET, DISTANT MUSIC, UNBRIDLED’S SONG, FUSAICHI PEGASUS and ELUSIVE QUALITY.
The inbreeding to Snippets in Lofty Strike introduces a duplication of Grand Chaudiere. He is from the immediate family of Never Bend, who can be sourced in mares carrying STRAIGHT STRIKE, DOYOUN, MAROONED and SHIRLEY HEIGHTS (descendants DARSHAAN, DALAKHANI and ZERPOUR). BRIEF TRUCE mares descend from Never Bend via RIVERMAN, who is also on the sire line of RIVOTIOUS, EXIT TO NOWHERE and LOUP SAUVAGE mares.
