Few Australians would have heard of Sea King (GB) before his impressive win in the Group III Bendigo Cup, but the son of Sea The Stars has a pedigree linked to a part of Melbourne Cup history.
Click here for all Melbourne Cup five generation pedigrees if you wish to do your own research.
Sea King's stakes-winning dam Pamona (Duke Of Marmalade) traces back to the influential mare Mrs Moss (GB), the dam of Japan Cup winner Jupiter Island, Gimcrack Stakes (UK) winner Precocious, Queen Mary Stakes winner Pushy, and Listed winner Krayyan.
Mrs Moss was the foundation mare for Lord and Lady Tavistock's Bloomsbury Stud. The daughter of Reform was a 2,100 guineas purchase as a six-year-old at the 1975 December Sales.
The High Line filly Pedestal was the only one of 12 starters for Mrs Moss, who failed to win. But she proved a significant influence in the Southern Hemisphere through three daughters, Worship (Irish River), Upstage (Quest For Fame), and Kowtow (Shadeed).
Worship is the granddam of stakes-winner and Group II-placed Slice Of Class (Guillotine), Upstage is the dam of the Group 1 winner and outstanding stallion Tavistock, and Kowtow is the dam of the fan favourite Precedence.
The son of Zabeel started in four Melbourne Cups for the Cups King Bart Cummings. The closest he came to winning was sixth at his fourth attempt behind Protectionist (GER).
The nearly $2,000,000 earner would be the last horse Bart Cummings saddled up in the Melbourne Cup.
Pedestal's half-sister Putupon (Mummy's Pet) is Sea King's fourth dam.
She left the Sun Chariot Stakes winner and stakes-producing dam Danceabout (Shareef Dancer).
Danceabout's half-sister Putout (Dowsing) left the Group III Premio Primi Passi winner Palanca (Inchinor), who produced the stakes-winners Prianca (Diktat) and Sea King's dam Pamona.
The daughter of Duke Of Marmalade was an accomplished racemare for Highclere Thoroughbreds.
She won two and placed in five of 14 starts. Her highlight came when winning the Listed John Smith's Silver Cup at York and placed in the Group II Royal Ascot Ribblesdale Stakes, Listed Saint-Cloud Prix Solitude, Listed Newbury Fillies' Trial and Listed York Lyric Stakes.
An 87,000 gns purchase for Barry Lynch / Heath House from the Highclere Stud draft in Book 1 of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Sea King (GB) won six races from 15 starts for Sir Mark Prescott.
Purchased by OTI Racing, the 6-year-old gelding was having his first start for Harry Eustace and his first stakes attempt when thrashing Berkeley Square by three-and-three-quarter lengths in the Bendigo Cup.
With Declan Bates unable to make the weight, Hollie Doyle has been handed an exceptional chance to follow in the footsteps of Michelle Payne, who won the Melbourne Cup on Prince of Penzance, which also started from the inside barrier.
