July 2nd, 2006

As the racing season draws to a close, STALLIONS continues to use the remainder of the season to showcase freshman sires who are about to embark on their new careers.

This week Alan Porter looks at the pedigree of Al Samer.

Of the freshman sires retiring in 2006 few can have a more interesting pedigree than Al Samer, who will start his career Emirates Park Victoria, at a fee of $11,000.

A son of Redoute’s Choice, Al Samer has as his grandam, a half-sister to the dam of Redoute’s Choice’s sire, Danehill. As a result, he has Danehill’s grandam, Spring Adieu 4 x 3, and her dam, Natalma, 5 x 5 x 6 x 4. The pedigree is actually even more complicated than that. Al Samer’s dam, My Lady’s Key, is by Key to the Mint, and his sire, Graustark, is a brother to His Majesty, the broodmare sire of Danehill, so My Lady’s Key is actually a genetic relative to Razyana, the dam of Danehill. Al Samer is the only stakes winner produced by My Lady’s Key, but her dam, You’re My Lady, a daughter of Roberto, was a more than effective broodmare. She has been represented by four stakes winners, including Lady Broadhurst, a graded winner in South Africa, and she is also grandam of the Caulfield Cup (G1) and Rosehill Guineas (G1) winner, Diatribe.

The intriguing pedigree paid off in practice. Only once out of the first three in seven starts, Al Samer broke his maiden in the Black Opal Stakes (G3) at two, and also captured third in the AJC Breeders’ Plate and Gold Coast Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic at that age. The following year, he added to his credits with a win in the listed Darby Munro Stakes, and took third in the South Pacific Classic (G3).

Al Samer will be one of the young sire prospects who will attempt to begin a “Redoute’s Choice branch” of the Danehill line, with others candidates already including the grade one scorers Snitzel, Stratum, Undoubtedly, Nadeem and God’s Own. In this regard it’s encouraging that his pedigree appears open to cross with a number of strains which have already excelled with Redoute’s Choice. For example, Redoute’s Choice has five stakes winners out of Sir Tristram line mares (including grade one winner Lotteria), and that line should work well here. From other branches of Sir Tristram’s Turn-to sire line, Redoute’s Choice has Nadeem out of a mare by Sound Reason (by Sadler’s Wells’ broodmare sire, Bold Reason and Undoubtedly out of a mare by Don’t Say Halo (by Halo). The Danzig/Star Kingdom cross has produced Redoute’s Choice grade one winner Stratum (out of a mare by Luskin Star) and stakes winner Presenting (out of a mare by Bletchingly). Redoute’s Choice has a stakes winner out of Star Way, and grade one winner God’s Own out of a mare by that horse’s son, Sky Chase, so that strain should work well.

Redoute’s Choice is inbred to Northern Dancer through Danzig and Nijinsky II, but Al Samer’s dam is free of that strain, although he does have another daughter strain of Northern Dancer’s dam, Natalma. Redoute’s Choice has worked back over the Northern Dancer strain via Whiskey Road (by Nijinsky II), who would give three crosses of Flower Bowl, the dam of Graustark and His Majesty; Bluebird (by Storm Bird); Citidancer; and Last Tycoon. Other strains which have been successful with Redoute’s Choice, and could work here are Mr. Prospector (Redoute’s Choice has Miss Finland out of a mare by Woodman, and a stakes winner out of a mare by Geiger Counter); Snippets (broodmare sire of Snitzel); At Talaq (which would double At Talaq’s sire, Roberto); Rory’s Jester; and Kenmare.