Arrowfield Mating Insights #1: The Autumn Sun

Choosing stallions for individual mares is one of the most interesting and enjoyable aspects of thoroughbred breeding, and modern breeders can achieve success with a wide range of tools, theories and approaches.

However, physical and pedigree compatibility are essential starting-points, especially when planning matings with young stallions in their first few seasons. So, to assist breeders considering Castelvecchio, Pariah, Showtime & The Autumn Sun in 2020, we’ve compiled a series of Mating Insights from Arrowfield’s Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer and Pedigree Analyst Peter Jenkins. 

They kick off the series with the background to five 2020 matings (three of them repeats) with 5-time Group 1-winning 2YO & 3YO The Autumn Sun:

Jon: THE AUTUMN SUN-DREAM DATE (by Starcraft) – for Arrowfield & Planette Thoroughbred
“Dream Date is a half sister to our own Not A Single Doubt, from the brilliant Easy Date family that has also produced dual Group 1-winning 2YO King’s Legacy to Redoute’s Choice. That makes her ideal to mate back to a Redoute’s Choice stallion and indeed her first foal is the very fast John O’Shea-trained filly Instant Attraction by Redoute’s himself.

“The Autumn Sun is a perfect match for her as a Redoute’s Choice son and even better, he’s from a Galileo mare. That brings in Sadler’s Wells whose three-quarter brother Nureyev is the paternal grandsire of Dream Date’s sire Starcraft. And I note that Not A Single Doubt has left Group-winning 2YO Stronger (also out of a Starcraft mare) & Group 2 winner Fell Swoop to Nureyev-line sires.

“The Autumn Sun is also the right physical match for Dream Date as he offers good size and scope that can be lacking in this female family, as well as bit of extra stamina.”
Pedigree: THE AUTUMN SUN – DREAM DATE

Peter: THE AUTUMN SUN-MISS DODWELL (by Falbrav) – for Arrowfield 
“The practice of using mares by sires from a stallion’s own tail-female line has long been a highly successful strategy for astute breeders. One example is the nick of Star Way over Sir Tristram mares which produced 10 SW (13.5%) from only 74 runners, four of them Group 1 winners including top-class Australian performer Filante. Both Sir Tristram & Star Way descended from the same ancestress, Selene, through her daughters All Moonshine & New Moon. 

“The Autumn Sun hails from a proven sire-producing family and one of the stallions who descends from the same taproot mare, Anne de Bretagne, is Japan & Hong Kong Cup winner Falbrav, whose most successful broodmare daughter Miss Dodwell happens to grace the Arrowfield broodmare band.

“Miss Dodwell has already left a Group 1 winner (Kenedna by Not A Single Doubt) and a Group 2 winner (Spill The Beans by Snitzel) to different sons of Redoute’s Choice, so the match with The Autumn Sun is irresistible – in fact, it’s a repeat mating because she’s also foaling to him this Spring.

“The combination of outstanding sires and full brothers Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King at 4 x 3 in the pedigree of the prospective foal is another reason for optimism. There is no such thing in breeding as a sure thing, but this might be as close as we get!” 
Pedigree: THE AUTUMN SUN – MISS DODWELL

Jon: THE AUTUMN SUN – IFFRANESIA (by Iffraaj) – for Arrowfield
“Iffranesia is a nice, scopey type of mare who was a very fast stakeswinner for English trainer Robert Cowell. Her first foal, a Snitzel weanling filly is absolutely outstanding.

“We’re keen to stick with the Redoute’s Choice line and love her with The Autumn Sun as she is by Iffraaj from the Gone West line and carries Riverman and Nureyev blood that has all nicked well with Galileo.

“She was a real 1000-metre mare and the prospect of her blinding speed combined with The Autumn Sun’s immense class is really exciting – so much so that this is another repeat mating.” 
Pedigree: THE AUTUMN SUN – IFFRANESIA

Peter: THE AUTUMN SUN- BALTIKA (by Stravinsky) – for Graham de Gruchy 
“Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee ranks alongside The Autumn Sun & Miss Finland as the best performers sired by Redoute’s Choice. Lankan Rupee’s dam was bred on the Stravinsky/Zabeel cross so it’s logical that Baltika, another Stravinsky daughter of a Zabeel mare (whose own dam was the Champion Horlicks) would be a great match for The Autumn Sun.

“Baltika is already the dam of Champion NZ 2YO Sacred Elixir and her 2 x 4 in-breeding to Nureyev is perfectly complemented by Nureyev’s illustrious ¾ blood-brother Sadler’s Wells, sire of Galileo, the damsire of The Autumn Sun.

“Given that The Autumn Sun was a Group 1 2YO winner and Baltika has already produced a Champion 2YO by an Epsom Derby winner, I’d hope the offspring from this match could be a candidate for the major juvenile contests.”
Pedigree: THE AUTUMN SUN – BALTIKA

Jon: THE AUTUMN SUN – NORZITA (by Thorn Park) – for Arrowfield & Hermitage Thoroughbreds
“Norzita was a really top-class race filly and physically she’s a queen. She is by a son of Spinning World (Nureyev) and so the mating duplicates both the Redoute’s Choice female family  and Special through Galileo.

“Norzita’s first foal Carif (by High Chaparral) is a Group horse and this mating  brings the same Sadler’s Wells element into play.

“Two champions with magnificent physicals and compatible bloodlines. I can’t wait to see this year’s foal and we’re very happy to repeat the match.”
Pedigree: THE AUTUMN SUN – NORZITA