Aldebaran

[kimberley mine]

Michael

We had a share in Shot Of Thunder (Thunder Gulch) who unfortunately was put down on the first day of our breeding season last year and we are now trying to find an appropriate Mr P line sire or two for the coming seasons and/or one from the Star Kingdom line.

Out of curiousity....what do you think of the Star Kingdom sires about? Canny Lad, Hurricane Sky, etc?

[Michael]

G'day!

Flight, I couldn't agree more with you about the ND overkill in Australasia. IMO, breeders like you who outcross Mr. P on all that ND inbreeding will make a significant impact in the next 10 years.

As for sires, how about Secret Savings, Hussonet and Lujian? All are typical Mr. P type horses and have proven grass affinity. Not so for Alannon, a dirt performer with a dirt pedigree. Of course, I haven't seen any of these horses so can only advise you to inspect closely before signing.

Still hoping to make Sydney Easter, or perhaps the Gold Coast broodmare sale. I wish I was in sunny Sydney right now--I am sick and tired of the cloudy, rainy weather in (not-so-sunny) California!

[Michael]

Kimberley Mine (is this handle taken from the NZ stallion of the same name, a 1/2 brother to Allez France?)

I'm sure you know more about the Star Kingdom line than I. Precious little of it has been exported to America, and none in the last 40 years or so. *Noholme is one of the greatest stallion success stories in American history, having started at stud in remote Arkansas for a $250 stud fee, and rising to the top of the sire list only a few years later. His sons Nodouble and Shecky Greene (a truer Star Kingdom horse) still impact racing here. And they are sound!

I've always been impressed how the little horses from this line can produce such strapping racehorses. As I recall, Bletchingly stood less than 15 hands, and Biscay was only a bit taller. Both champion sires. The line seems to have faded somewhat since the advent of the shuttle, but gosh, I would think it still cross well with the ND lines. I love it!

[kimberley mine]

Actually, my namesake Kimberley Mine (SAf) is a stakes-winning filly by Fort Wood. I used to live in Cape Town and am trying as hard as I can to get back there.

The Star Kingdom runners I am familiar (through personal research) with tend to be early-maturing but durable. The Star Kingdoms are probably the last viable line of *Hyperion, and seem to be quite rare outside of Australia, New Zealand, and the phalanx of hard-knocking geldings in Hong Kong.

They look rather stocky and tough to me, with legs that seem short for their bodies. Not that short legs matter if they can run! I've never seen one in person, or one whose broodie sire is a Star Kingdom, and I'm curious.

[Michael]

[quote="kimberley mine"]They look rather stocky and tough to me, with legs that seem short for their bodies. Not that short legs matter if they can run! I've never seen one in person, or one whose broodie sire is a Star Kingdom, and I'm curious.[/quote]

That is the Star Kingdom look. He stood only 14.3 hands at maturity, not far off his grandsire Hyperion's 15 hands. As a racehorse he was a quick maturing 2yo who won the Middle Park S, as I recall, before being exported to Australia. Yet sons *Noholme II and Todman (brothers) sired horses of good size, e.g. Nodouble.

The French champion 2yo GREEN FOREST (Shecky Greene) probably looked more like Star Kingdom than anything else we've seen in the states. He was a decent sire here, and at last I heard, was standing in India at my old friend Sonny Brar's Dashmeesh Stud. His son Tegbir posts occasionally on this forum.

BTW, a good *Noholme II horse in South Africa was FOOLS HOLME, whose 2nd dam was a 1/2 sister to BOLD RULER.

[mary syers]

One of Tesio's tenents was that as a sire line deminished, often the indiviual animals got taller. Do you think that is why these horses are out growing the normal heigth of their sire line? Mary

[Flight]

Hi Michael

I can't justify spending more than about $15k per mare at the moment as the girls are young and unproven so even though I quite like Hussonet, he is not a consideration at this time.

Secret Savings hasn't done much recently and that reflects in the sales ring. They'd need to readjust his service fee accordingly before he was short listed. Lujain already has a ND cross........

Quite like the breeding of Xaar but he is yet to fire over here. I thought his three year olds would do something last Spring but maybe they need even more time. Looks like they want some give in the ground as well so our hard tracks may not suit.

Hope your right about the Star Kingdom line and the ND mares! Two are currently in foal to Show A Heart. His yearlings sold very well at the MM and he gets a very nice type overall. Hope they can gallop - fast!

Kimberley Mine

Even though Canny Lad is getting on he is still doing his job. Very consistant sire and still justifies a $20k service fee. He has a couple of young sire sons in Dodge who stands for a "budget" fee but has got some winners and Planchet who has just stood his second (?) season.

Hurricane Sky sired two G1 winners from his first crop plus keeps getting black type winners. Don't think he is getting the best of mares but is value at $7.5k.

Reenact is a son of the wonderful Marscay who had his first yearlings go through the MM recently. One of his colts fetched $77.5k and his filles averaged around $20k. Not bad for a $5k service fee and overall, they weren't bad types.

I've no doubt missed a few however don't think any of note.

Cheers