Following on from my last post, where I noted the absence of Western Hanover as a damsire of commercial sires, this time I look at our local sires and see where the damsires are coming from.
Once again, there is a big name almost totally missing – In The Pocket.
In The Pocket, a super son of Direct Scooter, was the southern hemisphere equivalent of Matt’s Scooter, and he did a similar remarkable job as a sire of speedy sons and daughters.
But unlike Matt’s Scooter, so far In The Pocket’s influence on New Zealand sires is very much as a sire of sires (Changeover, Christian Cullen, Courage Under Fire) rather than as damsire of sires.
To date there is only one sire standing with In The Pocket as his damsire, and that is Tintin In America (by McArdle). That surprises me, given In The Pocket’s record as a sire here over such a long period. There is also one sire with Christian Cullen (top sire and son of In The Pocket) as a damsire, and that is Highview Tommy (by Bettor’s Delight).
There’s several reasons why I would love to see more of In The Pocket in the damsire role of our locally bred sires. He was a horse not only known for his speed and determination, but also his heart. Whether or not you totally agree with the “x factor” theory of Marianna Haun, there does seem considerable evidence to show that a larger heart may be passed on the x chromosome, i.e. able to be passed from a male horse to his female progeny but not to his male progeny.
If this is the case, then one of the most important qualities of In The Pocket will be able to be passed on to a sire when he is in the maternal line.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this role has been picked up by Matt’s Scooter (as well as him being a sire of sires). He is a key element in the maternal line of some of the good sires coming through – American Ideal of course, but also Shadow Play and Well Said.
Becoming a successful sire is very hard. Becoming a sire of sires is almost impossible. Becoming an important damsire of sires is also a mountain to climb, or rather a totally different and more technically difficult face of the same mountain perhaps.
I hope Tintin In America can advance his cause in that regard, and I also hope In The Pocket gets more chances in the future as a damsire of champion sires. We need him in the “engine room” of more of our sires – the the back pocket where we like to keep our reserves of cash.
b4breeding 
hi bree, iam an aussie and keep in touch with your comments , was looking at the new zealand sales book and noticed that 45% of the yearlings have in the pocket in there pedigrees ,that is this years sales ,just let you know that he is not going anywhere soon,he is still around
For sure, Barry, In The Pocket is in the pedigree of many horses still coming through, and so is Western Hanover in USA. But they have yet to get a presence as the damsire of sires. Whereas Artsplace, born around the same time, already features as the damsire in several top sires’ pedigrees. It is just interesting to see that, right through history, some horses can excel both a sire of sires and a damsire of sires (e.g. Artsplace, Most Happy Fella and Cam Fella, Matts Scooter etc), while others shine as one or the other but not both. Albatross was an example of one who could not extend his siring line (except for a superb next generation of “downunder” sires with his sons Holmes Hanover and Soky’s Atom) but he is so visible in the damlines of top sires (including Artsplace of course). Likewise Big Towner and Overtrick. However Western Hanover seems an example of a sire who shines as a sire of sires, but so far is not present as a damsire of top sires. I am wondering in the longer term whether In The Pocket will be like that? Or whether more of their wonderful broodmares will produce top-quality stallions in future? For now, only Tintin In America brings In The Pocket through the maternal line.
yes bee only time will tell as we know there is more differant lines to pick from nowdays and ten years ago we could not have the number one stallion here in nz or aust,what would ALBATROSS,BIG TOWNER, TAR HEEL ,ADIOS, have done if they came here?