b4breeding

Friday 13 May meeting at Alexandra Park included the PGG Wrightson Yearling Sale 2yo Fillies Final, and amongst the field, although not the winner, were two foals closely related to the great broodmare Vicario.

Strawberry Stride, who got third, is a Bettors Delight grand-daughter out of the Christian Cullen 5-win mare Temepara Cullen. And Smiling Sophie is an Art Major daughter, who came 6th out of a field of 7th but has plenty more to offer in future.

They both trace back to Rosehaven and the two lines from her that made the most impact in the broodmare barn for the Yarndleys – Black Watch (by Scottish Command) and Nancy Iola (by Black Fury).

That is a big story that has been told many times (perhaps one of the best is this 2009 article on Harnesslink written by Frank Marrion). It is good to note however that the family continues to shine in top races like this. I am not sure that the family is punching above its weight, as many of the mares have been given opportunity aplenty to produce good horses. But it is certainly living up to its potential overall. Black Watch had 15 foals, 7 of them females. Nancy Iola had 10, 6 of them females. So there have been many branches, twigs and leaves since then, and some of them delivering little, but there are enough fruiting buds and stunning fruit each generation to warrant the family’s great name in New Zealand breeding.

Sandy and Jan Yarndley have seen most of this family come to fruition, and their success is based on principles of good farming and stockmanship as much as anything, following tried and true rationale – raising stock well, putting the best of the females to the best sires available, working on from the strongest branches, and building a commercial reputation. Vicario is a particularly strong branch and she is the dam of two highly successful racehorses in Stunin Cullen and Coburg, with a raft of female descendants who have the opportunity to take Vicario’s name well and truly into the next few generations.

And just a quick post-script: I see Vicario’s great-grandson (Shanocon, by Bettor’s Delight from Veste, a Christian Cullen daughter of Coburg) qualified well as a 2yo at the Auckland Trials on Saturday 14 May, breeder Coburge Syndicate, Owner G Shand, Trainer Maurice McKendry.