Rain Affair’s Pedigee Shows Raffle of Breeding
06-01-2012
MARECHAL, the General Nediym 2-year-old filly who finished fourth in the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie at Auckland on Sunday, has as her third dam, Habibti, a mare who as a producer failed to live up anywhere near to her awesome sprinting ability, quality breeding and opportunity. A daughter of the influential Habitat and from a grandaughter of Tessa Gillian, a talented sister to breed shaper Royal Charger and a three-quarter relation to celebrated Nasrullah, Habibti is one of the highest rated European sprinting 3-year-old fillies in history, assessed on a Timeform of 136. Yet, despite going to leading sires, including Danzig and his son Green Desert, sire of Marechal’s non-winning grandam Desert Darling, Habibti has managed only two winners from eleven named foals and ten runners.
In contrast Eight Carat, her very lowly racing class half-sister by a much lesser sire, Pieces of Eight, has become one of the greatest matriarches in Australasian history. Raced in England over three years, but appearing only five times, she retired as a ‘plating-class maiden.’ After producing one foal to another modest sire, My Swanee, in England, Eight Carat did all her breeding in Australasia, the first year for Robert Sangster in Australia, producing Auckland Railway-Gr.1 winner Diamond Lover, and the balance with Patrick Hogan at the Cambridge stud in New Zealand.
She ended up with ten foals, seven runners and six winners, five of which won at Group1 level. They were Diamond Lover, Octagonal (Australian Horse of the Year,14 wins,11 Group1s, sire of Horse of the Year Lonhro), Kaapstad (VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, Ascot Vale Stakes), Mouawad (champion at three, VRC Australian Guineas) and Marquise (nine wins, WRC Captain Cook Stakes).
The females Diamond Lover and Marquise have both produced Group1 winners, a distinction also held in this part of the world by Eight Carat’s England foaled unraced daughter Cotehele House. Breeding for the Arrowfield stud, she produced the Danehill brothers Danewin and Commands.
Comment on the records of Habibti and Eight Carat has been stimulated by the following of the effort of Marechal in New Zealand by the stirring win in new 1100m track record time at Warwick Farm later in the week by Rain Affair, Sydney’s budding Black Caviar, in the $100,000 Carrington Stakes at Warwick Farm. A 4-year-old gelding, he is inbred 3x3 to Eight Carat, being by Commands and from I Believe, an Octagonal Sydney winner.
Appearing for the first time since August 6, scoring his eighth win from nine outings, the last seven in succession, Rain Affair is trained at the Farm by Joseph Pride for former long time Sydney Turf Club committeeman Don Story. He bred this brilliant galloper and his first five dams.
Courtesy of Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service
