Arrowfield Mating Insights #4: Showtime

Our Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer & Pedigree Analyst Peter Jenkins conclude their popular Arrowfield Mating Insights series by presenting their cases for four matings with dual Group-winning sprinter miler Showtime, whose first foals arrive this Spring:

Peter: SHOWTIME-ROSARIAN (by Manhattan Rain) for Arrowfield & Redbank Pty Ltd
“Some of the most successful matings are those where multiple successful strategies can be combined in the one match.

“Rosarian is a daughter of Group 1 2yo winner and Cox Plate-placegetter Manhattan Rain – himself now the sire of a Golden Slipper winner. Rosarian is out of the Flying Spur Group winner Rosa’s Spur, also dam of the popular and speedy Hussonet stakeswinner Members Joy, in turn the dam of multiple Group 2 winner Pure Elation.

“There are 3 key aspects to this match with Snitzel’s multiple Group-winning son Showtime:

“Firstly, the mating combines successful sire half-brothers Redoute’s Choice and Manhattan Rain via a duplication of their dam Shantha’s Choice at 4 x 3. From 30 runners to date this cross has yielded 10% Stakes Performers to Runners, namely Flemington multiple Group winner Jamaican Rain, 2YO stakeswinner Manhattan Street and Group 1 performer Man of Choice.

“Secondly, Rosarian herself features a duplication of the influential broodmare Rolls at 4 x 3 as the dam of Slipper victor Flying Spur and granddam of Encosta de Lago. Rolls is a daughter of Champion sire Mr. Prospector so the best foil for a mare bred like this is to find a stallion with the opposite sex line of the sire of the duplicated mare – in this case a male line of Mr. Prospector. Showtime fits the bill because his damsire is Timber Country, a son of the highly successful Mr. Prospector stallion Woodman.

“Thirdly, Showtime’s sire 4-time Champion Australian Stallion Snitzel, has produced 4 stakeswinners including two Group 1 juvenile winners, Invader and Summer Passage, from daughters of Manhattan Rain’s sire Encosta de Lago. Another son of Snitzel – Shamus Award – has produced Group 2 winner Etana, from a daughter of Encosta de Lago, so clearly this is a cross worth repeating.

“These three positive pedigree factors in the one mating give the resulting  foal a maximum chance of succeeding on the track. I will monitor his/her progress with interest!”
Pedigree: SHOWTIME-ROSARIAN

Jon: SHOWTIME – HUSSTERICS (by Hussonet) for Arrowfield & International Equities
“Hussterics was a minor winner and displayed talent for the stable, but her temperament probably held her back some.

“As a daughter of Hussonet, she is well suited to a Redoute’s Choice-line stallion, and a mating with Showtime duplicates her third dam Easy Date, dam of Snippets. This cross has produced the brilliant chestnut fillies Miracles Of Life and Champagne Cuddles. Hussterics’ first three foals are all winners and include Lady Jivago by Beneteau (by Redoute’s Choice) who won the Inglis Classic RL.

“Showtime has a wonderful temperament which is a big positive for this mare; the line-breeding to Danehill through Flying Spur as sire of the female granddam is a nice bonus.”
Pedigree: SHOWTIME-HUSSTERICS 

Peter: SHOWTIME – SMURF CODY (by Animal Kingdom) for Arrowfield
“On occasions pedigree research needs to be fine-tuned, especially when it comes to investigating negative genetic impacts. It has become evident in recent years that duplicating Danehill is not a successful strategy when

taken in broad terms based on Stakeswinners/Runners as a criterion.  There are exceptions of course, but generally there are alternative factors which have contributed to these one-off successes.

“Investigating the double-Danehill dilemma has unearthed some interesting patterns. Leading Danehill-line sires such as Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt, Exceed and Excel and Fastnet Rock perform poorly with Danehill-line mares, but in Snitzel’s case, the double Danehill factor is mitigated when Danehill occurs through the mare’s dam.

“Snitzel has produced 6 stakeswinners who feature a Danehill duplication which occurs in the mare through her dam, not her sireline, representing an excellent 8.0% Stakeswinners/Runners ratio.

“Snitzel’s multiple Group 2-winning son Showtime is likely to benefit from a similar strategy. Smurf Cody, an Animal Kingdom daughter of Group 1-winning Danehill-line mare Vitesse Dane (by Danewin), fits this pattern perfectly with her line of Danehill coming through her dam and not her sire.

“I also like the pattern in this mating of an intricate genetic relationship shared by Bonnie Hope, on the dam-line of Smurf Cody, and Dancing Show, granddam of Redoute’s Choice. They each combine close-up lines of leading sires Nijinsky, Sir Gaylord, War Admiral and ‘blue hen’ mare La Troienne.”
Pedigree: SHOWTIME-SMURF CODY

Jon: SHOWTIME – CHAPLET (by Street Cry) for Arrowfield
“Chaplet hails from the same family as Timber Country, broodmare sire of Showtime. She is a typical Street Cry mare, a bit on the plain side, and we felt that by line-breeding to Fall Aspen via Showtime, we might inject some quality and precocity into her foal.

“In addition, Chaplet’s female family has had significant success with Danzig-line stallions, notably Group 1 winners Hamas & Elnadim and Group 2 winner Bianconi.

“Street Cry has also worked with Redoute’s Choice blood: his Group 1 winners Stay With Me and Trekking are both from Redoute’s Choice mares and Golden Slipper winner Farnan is by Not A Single Doubt from a Street Cry mare.  Remember too, that El Divino, Winx’s half-brother by Snitzel was a juvenile Group winner.

“Chaplet is also foaling to Showtime so this is a mating we’re happy to repeat.”
Pedigree: SHOWTIME-CHAPLET