Lot 194 at tomorrow’s Melbourne yearling sale is a Mr Feelgood colt. I feel like cheering wildly when I see this pedigree, as it gives the mare (Twice Again Franco) a real chance to show what she can offer genetically.
So I think this colt is a worthy addition to our “virtual yearling stable” of 2015.
Lot 194 APG 2015 yearling sale – a Mr Feelgood colt
The yearling’s great grandam (Tropez Lobell) is a daughter of Three Diamonds by Storm Damage. So the colt is part of the wonderful K Nora/Adora family. Tropez Lobell was crossed with Jate Lobell to produce Trilogy Franco, the dam of Twice Again Franco.
Mr Feelgood’s maternal line is also part of the K Nora/Adora family.
Plus this match reintroduces Jate Lobell – this time crossed with the great mare Leah Almahurst.
The previous foals from Twice Again Franco have not been bad – two by Falcon Seelster, one by Riverboat King, and more recently a filly by Courage Under Fire.
The mare seems to miss almost every other year.
What intrigues me – and there may well be a reason – is why some closer connections to the maternal family and to Three Diamonds haven’t been tried earlier? American Ideal is the obvious one. He’s bred very much on the same cross, with Three Diamonds in his maternal line and Leah Almahurst in his sire’s pedigree. Even Life Sign himself would have been on my list. Or taking a different angle, Grinfromeartoear with his damsire Storm Damage (Three Diamonds was crossed with Storm Damage to produce Tropez Lobell) and his ability to click with Jate Lobell mares.
The most recent mating of Twice Again Franco was with Real Desire, a son of Life Sign, but the mare slipped. Tell All and Village Jolt are also options, but less commercial perhaps.
Line breeding to the strongest maternal influences, particularly when they can be found in such good sires, is something I really like. As with any line breeding, it is a lot more than just having the same names occurring somewhere in the pedigree. Where they appear is important, as is the overall balance of the match.
That’s another reason I like this colt. I’m keen to have him in our “interesting and innovative pedigrees” virtual stable.
A series of blogs I did on Mr Feelgood a couple of years ago:
Mr Feelgood as a sire – Part 3
b4breeding 
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