Dams & Sires

[wb]

I must admit I don't know a lot about breeding. In fact, I have never checked who is the dam or sire while reading form. I want to remedy this.

I was watching the racing today, and heard the commentator say something about all horses sired by Saddlers Wells being really sucessful.

I want to know:

1. Where I can find out about the basics of breeding?

2. Who are the significant dams & sires?

3. Is it worth looking into a horses lineage before betting?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Wayne

[mathare]

1. Where I can find out about the basics of breeding?When a mummy horse and a daddy horse love each other very much...

How basic do you want to go? In basic terms breeders breed the best with the best and hope for the best.


2. Who are the significant dams & sires?The RP and stats sites will give you lists of the sires whose offspring have earned most each season. It's normally Sadler's Wells at the top and has been for many years.


3. Is it worth looking into a horses lineage before betting?I don't think so, unless you're looking at maidens or nags untried over a distance. Then I just look at the RP pedigree to see what it says about the siblings and parents of the horse and what they were good at to see if that shows any promise.

Lots of people bang on about how the stamina comes from one and the speed from another and how mudlarks give birth to mudlarks and what have you but there are enough exceptions to these 'rules'. I would focus more on what the horse itself has proven it can do on the track, not what the sire and dam could do.

You could spend days looking at lineage and dosage indices and what have you but there are better ways to spend your time really.

[bigcumba]

I'd agree with Mat, the RP gives a decent amount of info on parentage, but to be honest I think going down that route is far too time consuming and it's not as important a factor as some would have you believe. Yes, breeding class with class will often result in a classy youngster, but not always.... same as with humans really :yikes: . As for the best distance / going etc - again as Mat says there can be a bit of a guide from looking at the dam and sire stats, but it's only one small piece of the jigsaw.

[Street cry]

Lineage no substitute for what is in the book , but may settlr doubts in horses tackling atrip for the first time or different ground but do know who your good sires are and what type they produce you will maybe look for pivotals 2 year olds coming out in september / october as they like a bit of dig as do linamix's and sadlers wells . I don't like zilzal fillies as they come a bit fizzy for my liking but i do like efisio fillies as he stamps em with a nice quality in the main . don't get too bogged down though not all traits are inherent islington for example was out of sadlers wells but she liked it like a road ( i loved islington to bits by the way ) . My fav sire is pivotal i think his two year olds in general are lovely nice attitude willing and game i also like marju but onr of the most promising must be gallileo of the colts of his i have seen admitadley not many they are stamped with the same fine features good confirmation easy movers tall and imposing michael jarvis has got a gorgeous son of his in gallient he looks very classy.
You will find you like different sires for different beasts , 7f horses are tricky to get right and i like green desserts over that trip and red ransoms quality will surely come to light over the next couple of years.
Look at the first crop of a sire and make note of his progenies ability and preferences it will help you as far as juvenille events are concerned . Mares generally have to have achieved less on the track to go to the paddocks but similarly look to their sire for clues , kingmambo , zafonic , machiavellian , grandlodge , have all produced particularly nice mares over the years look to the nicely bread mares obviously with black type for clues and avoid trendy sires like daggers drawn , fasliyev etc and also look out for tempremant .
I pay very little attention to breeding inthe main and te below is just brief rambling on a few of my thoughts .
I would say i like pivotal best as a sire he stamps his prodgeney with the right temprament brave and tough if you could get your hands on a nice mare you'd send her to him no question pricey tho . I will probably get my ass kicked for this but storm cat for me is overrated if u want an american dirt horse fine but not over here the deceased danehill got some nice ones too was top sire for atime if memory serves me correctly . Sc

[GlosRFC]

Personally, I don't think it's worth backing any horse that can't be traced back to the Godolphin Arabian, the Byerley Turk and the Darley Arabian :wink