Favorite Breeding Cross

[nat]

What's your favorite breeding cross that when your looking through the race book or sale book or breeding of a horse that you always mark and watch with interest

Two of my favorites are

Classic Garry over Windsheild Wiper mares (now getting on)
Christian Cullen over Falcon Seelster mares (I also look out for ITP and his son's over these mares)

Also like Smooth Fella on the Dam side

[triplev123]

G'day Nat,

I don't have any particular bloodline combinations that I like in preference to others so much as I get the almost immediate feeling that some are probably right and will work whilst others are probably wrong and will not. Along those lines I very firmly believe (but have no substantive ideas as to why) there are certain sirelines that will work anywhere, others that will work in here in AUS but not in NZ and vice versa and further still some that will work in the US but not in the Southern Hemisphere and again, vice versa. I wish I knew why but it just is what it is.

I also think there is a fair amount of circumstantial evidence around to suggest that, for reasons that may never be fully explained, some sires do appear to exert an influence in a maternal family for many years beyond that which you'd reasonable expect of them.
Two such horses, IMO, are Able Bye Bye and Scotty Belmont, the latter being a horse I am a particularly big fan of and like to see in a maternal family.
Over the years the number of classy racehorses and successful producing broodmares that have had Scotty Belmont up close on their maternal line is really quite remarkable. The same sort of thing goes for Able Bye Bye. Again, I wish I knew why but it just is what it is.

[nat]

Hi tiplev123

Yeh I wish I knew the secret
I'm not saying these are the best but some nice horses with X factor have come out of these crosses, to me it's a bit like when you reading the fields and see a new first season sire 2yld having a start you check up to see how they went. I dont know about anyone else even when I'm looking through the fields to have a bet I still look at the breeding first before anything else.

[Flashing Red]

I more rather like to see certain lines in certain spots rather than a cross itself....

[trotpace]

Falcon Seelster on the Dam side.

[Don Corleone]

I agree with you trotpace, I love Falcon Seelster on the dam side and even better if there a Tar Heel on the bottom line.

[buster]

must be a million mares with falcon seelster in them in nz

[triplev123]

must be a million mares with falcon seelster in them in nz

Hence, in general, the invariably late in life/post mortem/weight of numbers/ill begotten fame of 'The Broodmare Sire'.

[buster]

and just as many with foals on the ground by sons of ITP, and one of is the best sire in the southern hemisphere

[nat]

Who are you talking about Buster CC or CUF or the new kid on the block CO?

[mango]

I like Falcon/Sokys Atom mare's put to a Direct Scooter line stallion such as In The Pocket,Christian Cullen, Courage Under Fire or Mach 3 it seems to be working well.

[buster]

nat - cullen, courage is a solid stallion as well but just below cullen, mach three and bettors

i think its just the direct scooter speed and quality fillies that have given the kiwis the edge over aussie, the saying goes 'a good filly is only good for breeding a good colt'

[Don Corleone]

must be a million mares with falcon seelster in them in nz

There is Buster, I just gave 2 away. One for breeding and the other is heading into the high country as shepards mare. I am breeding off another that I had. A few years back I had 6 fillies in training and 5 of them were Falcon Seelsters. All but one have gone on to the breeding barn.

[trotpace]

Not many in the US with Falcon Seelster on the dam side and the ones that are race huge.

[nat]

Hi buster Cullen is gold to me and would take his stock nearly over anything, Courage is getting there and it will be interesting to see how Changeover goe's I remember seeing him at the Valley after years of not liking him because he kept beating Pocket Watch and poping up and winning big races with soft runs to saying boy what a nice horse wouldnt mind a foal by him.

[Robbo181]

all any thoughts on what would suit a falcon strike mare who is out of a caprock mare...

[Love Of Courage]

Hello Nat,

I have met very few trainers who are big fans of Cullen in Australia. They sell nowhere near as well in Aus and a lot less are bred. I think that he was a superb horse and very good stallion, however the yearlings do not sell well over here.

Have noticed that with some very good mares that have had a variety of good winners with handy stallions and yet the cullen foal does not live up to the rest of the winners.

[nat]

Hey Love Of Courage

Yeh those NZ Cullens have it on most of ours and they don't sell like in NZ Cullens, maybe it because we can cross the ditch and have a pick of 20 - 30 at the sales but only can choose from a handful at the Aussie sale and not always from the best mares. But I have turned full circle once I was US stallions only now I look at what we have Cullen, Courage, Changeover, Gotta Go Cullect, Pay Me Christian and Skyvalley still out to sea on Elsu though

[triplev123]

They're so often such great looking horses & they're so often possessed of incredible point to point speed but there's one flaw that so many of the CC's have...and it is mental fragility. That's why NZ racing patterns so often suit them so well and by and large Australian patterns tend not to do so. In NZ, so rarely if ever is there any genuine early pressure and so they will get waved through to the front where they are left all alone on a completely unaccosted lead through to the half. From there they'll step it up and zoom off home and kill everything with their sheer speed. However, have another horse or two bustle them early and then keep them moving through to the half & there's a huge risk they'll sulk in the lane and not finish off. IMO that's THE major reason why the Direct Scooter sireline has invariably done soooooo much better over in NZ as compared to Australia. No early pressure. Dawdle out, balance up, rip home a half.