When 22-year-old VATC 1000 Guineas winner Whisked died foaling a Strategic filly earlier this month she had secured her place in Australian thoroughbred history as a Gr.1 winner and as the dam of multiple Gr.1 winner and Australian Horse of the Year Tie The Knot.

   While Tie the Knot was a magnificent racehorse, winning 21 races and $6.2m, twice winning the Tancred Stakes-Gr.1, Rawson Stakes-Gr.1 and Sydney Cup-Gr.1 and winning the Chipping Norton Stakes-Gr.1 four times, the son of Nassipour (USA) was lost to breeding as he was a gelding.
    However Whisked is also set to make a further contribution to the breeding scene via the four daughters and the young sire son she has left behind. Her son is the Erin Park Stud, Tamworth, based Dream Ballad , a son of champion Singspiel (IRE) and winner of the Dulcify Quality Handicap-LR (1800m) at Randwick.
    A winner from 1400m-1800m and also fourth in the Tulloch Stakes-Gr.2, Dream Ballad retired to stud in 2007 and is one of the 10 stakes winners got by Dubai World Cup-Gr.1 and Japan Cup-Gr.1 winner Singspiel (In The Wings-Glorious Song by Halo) in his single shuttle season here (2001). These runners are led by the Invitation Stakes-Gr.1 winner Rewaaya, Belmonte, A Country Girl and Operetta Lass, while the Rosehill Guineas-Gr.1 runner-up Oh Oklahoma (ex More Natural by Naturalism) is another of his locally-bred sons at stud, standing at Ilala Stud, Scone.
    Sinspiel is the sire of 69 stakes winners including Dubai World Cup-Gr.1 winner Moon Ballad, dual Gr.1-winning mares Lahudood and Dar Re Mi and last Saturday’s Meon Valley Stud Ascot Fillies’ Mile-Gr.1 winner Hibaayeb. Singspiel is a grandson of Sadler’s Wells, while his dam also produced leading sires Rahy and Rakeen. Dream Ballad retired to stud in 2007 and stands at $6600.
    Whisked’s three wins also included the Tea Rose Stakes-Gr.2 and Light Fingers Stakes-Gr.3 and she was also runner-up in the VRC Oaks and NSW Breeders’ Classic-Gr.1.  Bred by Sandy Tate and his sister Jill Nivison, Whisked was a daughter of Whiskey Road (USA) (Nijinsky), sire also of international champion Strawberry Road and Melbourne Cup winner Just a Dash and is from the unraced That is a Shame by Kaoru Star from Not Enough, a daughter of the Tait family bred Golden Slipper winner Baguette (Rego (IRE)-Dark Jewel by Star Kingdom (IRE)).
    Besides Dream Ballad, Whisked has left the daughters Jadeite (Jade Hunter (USA)) – her five foals include four fillies, daughters of Singspiel (Larksong), Noverre (USA) (Maid of Jade), Cape Cross (IRE) (Dena) and Tiger Hill (IRE) (unnamed); La Zabaglione (Zabeel (NZ)) – her three foals include the Hussonet (USA) filly Isola; This Way (Street Cry (IRE)), who was covered by Danewin in her first season last year; and the Strategic filly, Whisked’s 13th foal, who was born at Darley and saved when her mother died of foaling complications earlier this month. The filly has been fostered by a nurse mare.
    Whisked’s three-year-old gelding Hood (Shamardal) is a recent barrier trial winner, but the mare missed in two subsequent seasons before producing her final foal. The Strategic filly is bred for speed, carrying four crosses of Star Kingdom (5m,5mx4m,6f), two via Kaoru Star (4mx3f) and also has doubles of Native Dancer, Nearco and Alycidon in her sixth remove. It will be interesting to see if she can add to the family’s honour roll on the track and at stud.

Permalink| Sep 30, 2009

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