b4breeding

The first 2013 yearling sales lot I want to look at is Lot 69 at the Australasian Classic sale (Karaka), named Angus Fogg after the New Zealand V8 racing car driver.

This is a young colt I’ve been keeping my eye on – literally.

If I look out the window from where I sit at my computer, there he is. I’ve been watching his development with interest.

Angus Fogg and partner Tracy visit mare Sun Isa and young foal Angus Fogg at Breckon Farms.

Angus Fogg is the latest offering by Isa Lodge partner Kym Kearns.

He’s a half brother to Flying Isa, who was a big, bold colt, very much in the mould of his dam, the Sundon mare Sun Isa and her dam, the Count Bay mare Isa Countessa.

This time the colt has taken after his sire, Angus Hall, in terms of type.

And that’s something Kym appreciates:

He’s an athletic type.  He’s a 4 December foal, but you may be surprised by his physical forwardness. The breed has a tendency to be slightly turned out in the front, but this never stopped Flying Isa – or indeed the great Sundon (the dam’s sire).  What I would say about his legs is that they are strong and really push his movement forward in a lovely motion. I like him.

From a breeding perspective, the main interest lies in the fact that it’s the first crop of Angus Hall here. There are only two at the sales (this colt and a filly at Karaka, and a colt from Landoras Special at the Premier Day One sale in Christchurch).  Of course Angus Hall has only been available via frozen semen. His first crop of 18 foals came from 27 mares served – a not bad 72% fertility. He got about the same number of mares the next year. Given what a class act he is as a sire, it would be tragic if he wasn’t supported enough to retain his services for a few more years.

Lot 69 at Karaka has a pedigree that creates some very interesting double ups to one of trotting’s golden families – Goddess Hanover and her daughters Arpege and Cassin Hanover – via the Count Bay connection on the yearling’s maternal lines. The dam of Count Bay, Baynie, is a full sister to world champion trotter and sire Ayres, and both are progeny of Arpege. The only other sires we’ve had access to in New Zealand with these bloodlines has been Straphanger (via his damsire Texas) and more recently Thanksgiving (who has Ayres as his grandamsire).

Angus Hall has the connection twice, on his sire line and his maternal line.

You can read the details of this (and photos we took of the colt this morning) on this blogsite page.

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