Specious honours being awarded as Pattern grows to record size

This article was originally published on November 11, 2018

The 48th European Pattern season came to an end on Saturday when Toulouse staged the Group 3 Prix Fille de l’Air. That was supposed to be race number 423, but the three races scheduled for Turkey in early September had to forfeit their status because the outbreak of a highly infectious disease meant that horses were not allowed to travel to that country.

However, the 420 international events that were staged constituted a new record, and the 324 individual winners surpassed by five the previous high, set in 2016. There were 84 races at the elite Group 1 level, with 109 in Group 2 and 227 in Group 3.

The tallies for each participating nation were: Great Britain 157, France 115, Ireland 71, Germany 44, Italy 26, Norway and Sweden three apiece, and Denmark with one.

The first Pattern, in 1971, involved only England, Ireland, France and Italy, the schedule featuring just 243 races, with the honours distributed among 161 individual winners. There was a gradual expansion in the early years, and from the mid-1980s until the turn of the century the scheme generally consisted of around 320 races, with individual winners numbered in the 230s.

The new millennium brought significant growth, with 16 races added for 2003 and a further 20 in 2004. Individual winners passed the 250 mark for the first time in 2001, but the tally has always been in the 300s since 2012. It is hard to escape the impression that it has become much easier to achieve Pattern success in recent years and that numerous horses are acquiring specious honours.

In 2017 there were 25 horses who notched three or more Pattern victories, but there were just 19 this time around. Roaring Lion and Stradivarius both collected five, while those gifted fillies Alpha Centauri and Laurens each won four at the highest level.

Galileo was once more the dominant sire, though not quite to the same degree as in 2017, when his progeny’s 46 wins represented more than 11 per cent of the entire programme of races. He had 25 winners of 34 races this time in a season which took him to the top of the all-time Pattern table, above his own sire Sadler’s Wells.

Dubawi was again second best, responsible for 17 individual winners of 25 races, including two of the best juveniles around in Too Darn Hot and Quorto. Galileo’s half-brother Sea the Stars ranked third with six winners of 14 races, while Galileo’s best son Frankel had ten winners of 12 races to underline his progress.

In 2016 and again last year, Galileo was a dual champion, also heading the list of successful broodmare sires, but it was a closely run contest with Pivotal in 2017, and it was Cheveley Park Stud’s evergreen standard-bearer who rose to the top this year. A dozen daughters were responsible for winners of 22 races, including Cracksman and seven others who scored in Group 1.

Pivotal also ranks above Galileo in the all-time broodmare sires’ table, and while it is true that he had a five-year headstart on his rival, he covered precious few quality mares in those seasons. Sadler’s Wells continues at the top of that list, and I doubt that I shall live to see him toppled from his perch.

My analyses of pedigrees show 144 instances of winners inbred within four generations, virtually on a par with last year. While the name most commonly repeated is still that of Northern Dancer, his sons and grandsons are now featuring prominently, as was to be expected. When the old breed-shaper departs into the further reaches of pedigrees, it is a fair bet that Danzig will become the most duplicated ancestor.

In 1998, when there were 244 individual Pattern winners, I found that 56 of them (23 per cent) had pedigrees showing no duplications within five generations. Twenty years on only 14 of the 324 winners (four per cent) were bred that way.

Of course, these days everybody wants to use the same horses, and bigger books ensure that they get the opportunity. Diversity in the breed is becoming extinct.

TOP PATTERN PERFORMERS OF 2018

THE following 19 horses won 3 or more Pattern races in Europe in 2018

Gr1/Gr2/Gr3/Total

Roaring Lion 4 1 - 5
Stradivarius 2 3 - 5
Alpha Centauri 4 - - 4
Laurens 4 - - 4
Waldgeist 1 2 1 4
Best Solution 2 1 - 3
Cracksman 3 - - 3
Crystal Ocean - 1 2 3
Flag Of Honour 1 1 1 3
God Given 1 1 1 3
Kew Gardens 2 1 - 3
Kitesurf 1 1 1 3
Poet’s Word 2 - 1 3
Recoletos 2 1 - 3
Sands Of Mali 1 1 1 3
Sir Dancealot - 2 1 3
Skitter Scatter 1 1 1 3
Too Darn Hot 1 1 1 3
Young Rascal - - 3 3

TOP PATTERN RACE SIRES IN 2018

THE following 45 stallions sired the winners of 3 or more European Pattern races in 2018

34
Galileo (Anthony Van Dyck 2, Beautiful Morning, Broadway, Bye Bye Baby, Capri, Cliffs of Moher, Cypress Creek, Flag of Honour 3, Flattering, Forever Together, Hermosa, Idaho, Japan, Kew Gardens 3, Line of Duty, Magical 2, Magic Wand, Mission Impassible, Mohawk, Order of St George, Platinum Warrior, Rhododendron, Sizzling, Waldgeist 4, Yucatan)

25
Dubawi (Anna Nerium, Bateel, Benbatl, Brundtland 2, Coronet, Crown Walk, D’bai, Ghaiyyath, Glorious Journey, Kitesurf 3, Old Persian 2, Plumatic, Quorto 2, Soliloquy, Too Darn Hot 3, Wild Illusion 2, Wuheida)

14
Sea the Stars (Crystal Ocean 3, Knight To Behold, Listen In, Night Music 2, Sea of Class 2, Stradivarius 5)

12
Frankel (Call the Wind, Cracksman 3, East, Finche, Lightening Quick, Mirage Dancer, Nelson, Rostropovich, Veracious, Without Parole)

10
Kodiac (Best Solution 3, Fairyland 2, Hello Youmzain, Kessaar 2, Sporting Chance, True Valour)

9
Invincible Spirit (Ancient Spirit 2, Eqtidaar, Inns of Court, Invincible Army, Magna Grecia, Pincheck, Royal Meeting, Tomyris)
Nathaniel (Chasedown, Enable 2, God Given 3, Highgarden, Pilaster, Precious Ramotswe)
Teofilo (Cross Counter, Diplomat, Donjah, Eziyra 2, Guaranteed, Tantheem 2, Teodoro)

8
Fastnet Rock (Euginio, I Can Fly, Merchant Navy 2, One Master 2, Torcedor, Turret Rocks)
Mastercraftsman (Alpha Centauri 4, Maid Up, Master the World, Neufbosc, Wind Chimes)
Poet’s Voice (Arctic Sound, Poeta Diletto, Poet’s Word 3, Sand Zabeel 2, Summer Festival)
Scat Daddy (Sergei Prokofiev, Sioux Nation 2, Skitter Scatter 3, So Perfect, Van Beethoven)

7
Pivotal (Addeybb, Alignement, Brando, Laraaib, Lightning Spear, Nikkei, Together Again)
Showcasing (Advertise 2, Devant, Dice Roll, Mohaather, Soldier’s Call 2)
Siyouni (Barkaa, City Light, Finsbury Square, Laurens 4)
Soldier Hollow (Dallas Affair, Destino, Dschingis Secret, Wai Key Star, Weltstar 2, Whispering Angel)
Zoffany (Coral Beach, Fleeting, Main Edition 2, Who’s Steph 2, Wilamina)

6
Camelot (Hunting Horn, Latrobe, Pollara, Wait Forever 2, Wonderment)
Dansili (Efaadah, Just Wonderful 2, Ligne d’Or, Mootasadir, With You)
Exceed and Excel (Degas 2, Hit the Bid, James Garfield, Julio, Queen of Bermuda)
Intello (Intellogent 2, Regal Reality, Young Rascal 3)
New Approach (Loxley, Masar 2, Ostilio, Potemkin, Waldlied))

5
Dark Angel (Angel’s Hideaway, Battaash 2, Harry Angel, Yafta)
Deep Impact (Bartaba, Geniale, Saxon Warrior, Study of Man 2)
Kitten’s Joy (Roaring Lion 5)
Lawman (Forest Ranger 2, Luminate, Masham Star, Rocques)
Shamardal (Aljazzi, Blue Point, Emaraaty Ana, Graphite, Hazapour)
Whipper (Jackfinbar, Lord Glitters, Recoletos 3)

4
Acclamation (Expert Eye 2, My Sister Nat, Projection)
Areion (Auenperle, Binti Al Nar, Devastar, Wonnemond)
Oasis Dream (Polydream 2, Pretty Pollyanna 2)
Panis (Alistair, Sands of Mali 3)
Tamayuz (Hunaina, Making Light, Mustashry 2)
Zamindar (Air Pilot 2, Our Last Summer 2)

3
American Post (Castellar 2, Gaining)
Camacho (Signora Cabello 2, Teppal)
Cape Cross (Century Dream, Hamada, Horseplay)
Exchange Rate (Homerique, Thundering Blue 2)
Holy Roman Emperor (Romanised, Well Timed 2)
Makfi (Fabricate, Magic Circle, Noor Al Hawa)
No Nay Never (Land Force, Ten Sovereigns 2)
Paco Boy (Beat the Bank 2, Mission Boy)
Raven’s Pass (Raven’s Lady 2, Royal Marine)
Sir Prancelot (Sir Dancelot 3)
War Front (Hakam, Lancaster Bomber, U S Navy Flag)

TOP PATTERN RACE BROODMARE SIRES IN 2018

THE following 50 stallions sired the dams of winners of 3 or more European Pattern races in 2018

22
Pivotal (Advertise 2, Cracksman 3, Defoe 2, Fairyland 2, Flattering, Hermosa, Mabs Cross 2, Magical 2, Olmedo, One Master 2, Raven’s Lady 2, Rhododendron, Veracious)

16
Galileo (Ancient Spirit 2, Cimeara, Devant, Ghaiyyath, Ligne d’Or, Magna Grecia, Mootasadir, My Sister Nat, Psychedelic Funk, Saxon Warrior, Sevenna Star, Turret Rocks, U S Navy Flag, Wells Farrh Go, Zihba)

11
Danehill Dancer (Aljazzi, Bye Bye Baby, Dancing Star, Hunaina, Kitesurf 3, Sir Dancealot 3, Thomas Hobson)
Dansili (Cliffs of Moher, Dark Vision, Expert Eye 2, Gaining, Glorious Journey, Magic Wand, Noblesse Oblige, Our Last Summer 2, Tornibush)

9
Monsun (Night Music 2, Waldgeist 4, Waldlied, Wild Illusion 2)
Singspiel (Limato, Noble Moon, Old Persian 2, Royal Marine, Too Darn Hot 3, Wuheida)

8
Danehill (Broadway, Idaho, Iridessa, Japan, Making Light, Precious Ramotswe, Raymond Tusk, Wai Key Star)
Sadler’s Wells (Enable 2, Fabricate, Knight To Behold, Magic Circle, Mot Juste, Torcedor, Worth Waiting)

7
Cape Cross (Emaraaty Ana, Laurens 4, Masar 2)
Shamardal (Anda Muchacho, Hello Youmzain, Latrobe, Pretty Pollyanna 2, Royal Youmzain 2)

6
Anabaa (Bartaba, Capri, Cypress Creek, Forest Ranger 2, Plumatic)
Kingmambo (Addeybb, Best Solution 3, Cross Counter, Hamada)

5
Bering (Stradivarius 5)
Diktat (Beat the Bank 2, Euginio, Invincible Army, Summer Festival)
Dubai Destination (Eziyra 2, God Given 3)
Exceed and Excel (Anthony Van Dyck 2, Mission Impassible, Ten Sovereigns 2)
Green Desert (D’bai, Highgarden, Mirage Dancer, Mustashry)
Highest Honor (Castellar 2, Recoletos 3)
Montjeu (Give and Take, I Can Fly, Just Wonderful 2, Rocques)
Rahy (Alpha Centauri 4, Nocturnal Fox)
Rock of Gibraltar (Coeur de Beaute, Land Force, Line of Duty, Quest the Moon, Teodoro)
Street Sense (Roaring Lion 5)
Verglas (Neufbosc, Nyaleti, Speak In Colours, Who’s Steph 2)

4
Cadeaux Genereux (Harry Angel, Teppal, Well Timed 2)
Clodovil (Platinum Warrior, Young Rascal 3)
Dubawi (Comedy, Royal Julius, Tantheem 2)
Inchinor (Call the Wind, Listen In, Mohaather, With You)
Indian Ridge (East, Hunting Horn, Lancaster Bomber, Romanised)
Indian Rocket (Morando, Sands of Mali 3)
Mark of Esteem (Crystal Ocean 3, Ostilio)
Nashwan (Poet’s Word 3, Urban Fox)
Street Cry (Noor Al Hawa, Skitter Scatter 3)

3
Areion (Butzje, Iquitos 2)
Big Shuffle (Oriental Eagle, Potemkin, Taraja)
Dark Angel (Havana Grey 2, Rumble Inthejungle)
Desert King (Kew Gardens 3)
Doyen (Auenperle, Stormy Antarctic 2)
Gold Away (Pretty Baby, Sand Zabeel 2)
Hernando (Pilaster, Sea of Class 2)
Holy Roman Emperor (Cala Tarida, Wait Forever 2)
Hurricane Run (Brundtland 2, Maid Up)
Kheleyf (Angel’s Hideaway, Intellogent 2)
King’s Best (Atom Hearth Mother, I’m So Fancy, Larchmont Lad)
Oasis Dream (Efaadah, Sioux Nation, Yafta)
Platini (Destino, Devastar, Dschingis Secret)
Royal Academy (Arctic Sound, Lightning Spear, Xenobia)
Selkirk (Benbatl, Hit the Bid, Poeta Diletto)
Storm Cat (Pollara, Study of Man 2)
Warning (Flag of Honour 3)
Woodman (Finche, Main Edition 2)

INBRED PATTERN WINNERS

The following 144 Pattern winners are inbred within four generations

Inbred to
Addeybb Nureyev 3 x 4
Alignement Caro 4 x 4
Alpha Delphini Danzig 3 x 4
Ancient Spirit Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Angel’s Hideaway Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Anthony Van Dyck Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Antonia de Vega Machiavellian 3 x 4 x 4
Atom Hearth Mother Northern Dancer 4 x 4 x 4
Barkaa dam R.B. Chesne 2 x 3
Battaash Night Shift 3 x 4
Best Solution Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Beyond Reason Green Desert 3 x 4, Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Brando Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Broadway Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Bye Bye Baby dam Sharpen Up 3 x 3
Called to the Bar Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Capri Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Castellar Northern Dancer 4 x 4, Fairy Bridge 4 x 4
Chasedown Sadler’s Wells 3 x 4
Cliffs of Moher Sadler’s Wells 2 x 4, Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Coral Beach Danehill 3 x 3
Cracksman Danzig 4 x 4
Crown Walk Mr Prospector 3 x 4
Cypress Creek Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Dancing Star Danzig 4 x 4
D’bai Shirley Heights 4 x 4
Degas sire Northern Dancer 3 x 3
Destino Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Diplomat Danzig 3 x 4
Dschingis Secret Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Dylan Mouth Northern Dancer 4 x 4
East Danzig 4 x 4
Efaadah Danzig 3 x 4
Enable Sadler’s Wells 2 x 3
Finche Rainbow Quest 3 x 4
Flower Party Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Forest Ranger Danzig 3 x 4
Forever Together Northern Dancer 3 x 4, Special 4 x 4
Funny Kid Mr Prospector 3 x 3, Seattle Slew 3 x 4
Gaining Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Graphite Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Guaranteed Danzig 4 x 4
Gyllen Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Hakam Danzig 2 x 4
Hamada Northern Dancer 4 x 4; dam Mr Prospector 2 x 3
Havana Grey Green Desert 3 x 4
Hello Youmzain Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Here Comes When Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Highgarden Northern Dancer 4 x 4, Roberto 4 x 4
Hit the Bid sire Northern Dancer 3 x 3
Holdthasigreen Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Homerique Seeking the Gold 3 x 4
Hunaina Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Hurricane Red Sharpen Up 3 x 4
I Can Fly Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Idaho Northern Dancer 3 x 4
I Kirk Raise a Native 3 x 4
I’m So Fancy Danzig 3 x 4
Intellogent Danzig 4 x 4
Iridessa Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Jackfinbar Mill Reef 4 x 4, Hardiemma 4 x 4
James Garfield sire Northern Dancer 3 x 3
Japan Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Julio Northern Dancer 4 x 4 x 4
Just Wonderful Danzig 3 x 4
Laraaib Northern Dancer 3 x 4, Bustino 4 x 4
Laurens Danzig 4 x 4
Lightening Quick Miswaki 4 x 4
Lightning Spear Northern Dancer 4 x 4 x 4
Ligne d’Or Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Line of Duty Sadler’s Wells 2 x 4
Listen In Ahonoora 3 x 4
Loxley Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Magna Grecia Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Main Edition Mr Prospector 3 x 4
Making Light Northern Dancer 4 x 4 x 4
Marie’s Diamond Green Dancer 4 x 4
Marmelo Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Masar Ahonoora 3 x 4, Urban Sea 3 x 4
Masham Star Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Master the World Danzig 4 x 4
Mirage Dancer Danzig 3 x 4
Mission Boy Danzig 4 x 4
Mission Impassible Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Mohawk Northern Dancer 3 x 4, Fairy Bridge 3 x 4
Mootasadir Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Mot Juste Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Mr Lupton Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Mustashry Height of Fashion 3 x 4, Northern Dancer 4 x 4
My Lea Night Shift 3 x 4
My Sister Nat damMiswaki 3 x 3
Nelson Miswaki 4 x 4
Nikkei Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Noble Moon Konigsstuhl 4 x 4
Noblesse Oblige Danehill 3 x 3
Nonza Danzig 4 x 4
O’Juke Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Old Persian Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Order of St George Mr Prospector 3 x 4
Ostilio Northern Dancer 4 x 4, Fairy Bridge 4 x 4
Persian King Danzig 4 x 4
Phoenix of Spain sire Machiavellian 3 x 3
Pilaster Miswaki 4 x 4
Pincheck Kris 3 x 3, Danzig 3 x 5
Pollara Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Polydream Lyphard 4 x 4
Precious Ramotswe Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Pretty Baby dam Blushing Groom 3 x 3
Psychedelic Funk Danzig 4 x 4
Queen of Bermuda sire Northern Dancer 3 x 3
Raymond Tusk Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Recoletos Northern Dancer 4 x 4, Fairy Bridge 4 x 4
Regal Reality Danehill 3 x 4
Rocques Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Romanised sire Northern Dancer 3 x 3
Royal Youmzain Sadler’s Wells 3 x 3
Sea of Class Miswaki 3 x 4; dam Nijinsky 3 x 3
Sergei Prokofiev dam Unbridled 3 x 3
Sevenna Star Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Signora Cabello Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Sizzling Northern Dancer 3 x 4, Mr Prospector 3 x 4
Skitter Scatter Mr Prospector 3 x 4
Soldier’s Call dam Nureyev 3 x 3
So Perfect Storm Cat 3 x 4
Stormy Antarctic Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Study of Man dam Northern Dancer 3 x 3
Talismanic Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Tantheem Danzig 4 x 4
Teodoro Danehill 3 x 3
The Black Album Zafonic 3 x 3, Park Appeal 4 x 4
Thomas Hobson Sharpen Up 3 x 4
Torcedor Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Turret Rocks Northern Dancer 4 x 4
U S Navy Flag Northern Dancer 3 x 4
Wai Key Star Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Wait Forever Danehill 3 x 4, Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Well Timed Northern Dancer 4 x 4 x 4
Wind Chimes Lyphard 4 x 4
Without Parole Northern Dancer 4 x 4
Wonderment Danehill 4 x 4
Wuheida Mr Prospector 4 x 4
Yafta Ahonoora 4 x 4
Young Rascal Danehill 3 x 3
Yucatan Mr Prospector 4 x 4

WINNERS WITH OUTCROSS PEDIGREES

THE following 14 Pattern winners show no duplications within five generations

Efesos
Give and Take
Golden Legend
Harry Angel
Horseplay
Hunting Horn
Lancaster Bomber
Peace In Motion
Potemkin
Projection
Sands of Mali
Taraja
The Tin Man
Wonnemond

TOP PATTERN RACE SIRES SINCE 1971

The following 76 stallions have sired winners of 40 or more European Pattern races

Winners/Wins

Galileo 161 341
Sadler’s Wells 158 327
Danehill 91 198
Dubawi 80 154
Monsun 60 131
Nureyev 62 121
Dansili 65 120
Pivotal 71 118
Danehill Dancer 64 115
Montjeu 49 111
Habitat 50 108
Invincible Spirit 54 108
Riverman 48 102
Danzig 55 101
Northern Dancer 47 100
Rainbow Quest 58 96
Lyphard 48 93
Mill Reef 37 92
Nijinsky 49 88
Shamardal 45 87
Caerleon 53 86
Alleged 43 83
Cape Cross 40 78
Linamix 41 78
Oasis Dream 45 78
Selkirk 44 77
In the Wings 34 73
Indian Ridge 37 72
Alzao 33 69
Blushing Groom 35 69
Vaguely Noble 33 69
Green Desert 39 67
Darshaan 40 63
Diesis 32 63
Kingmambo 31 62
Kris 35 60
Shirley Heights 30 59
Big Shuffle 33 58
Fairy King 32 58
Be My Guest 29 57
Mr Prospector 36 57
Caro 24 56
Sea the Stars 27 53
Surumu 20 53
Acatenango 30 52
Halling 28 52
Luthier 26 52
Storm Cat 27 51
Dalakhani 28 50
Teofilo 31 50
The Minstrel 29 50
Ahonoora 22 49
High Chaparral 28 49
Machiavellian 30 49
Singspiel 33 49
Dark Angel 26 48
Konigsstuhl 18 48
Sharpen Up 20 48
Night Shift 26 47
Rock of Gibraltar 36 47
Royal Academy 31 47
Warning 25 46
Anabaa 22 45
Busted 21 45
Sir Ivor 30 45
Barathea 28 44
Ela-Mana-Mou 18 44
Marju 24 43
Efisio 14 42
Niniski 17 42
Soviet Star 15 41
Exceed and Excel 29 40
Irish River 25 40
Miswaki 23 40
Peintre Celebre 22 40
Thatch 17 40