Charge Forward Double Highlights Cross

With our new high profile son of Red Ransom (USA) All American kicking off his stud career this spring, it’s worth seeing what has worked with our other prominent Australian based sire son of Red Ransom (USA) Charge Forward , who had a double at Gosford on Thursday that highlighted one obvious cross that works.

The best runner to date for Charge Forward has been Group One winning filly Headway, who is from a daughter of Flying Spur, the same cross producing a winning double at Gosford on Thursday with two year-old filly Forward Love and three year-old gelding Fast Forward both from mares by Flying Spur.

The Gai Waterhouse trained Forward Love finished fourth in town on debut back in December, but improved with the benefit of a spell to break her maiden by the best part of a length.

A $55,000 purchase from the Baerami draft at the 2009 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Forward Love is the first winner for her dam Volante Marie.

Winning on debut for Darren Smith was Fast Forward, a $105,000 purchase from the Bellerive draft at the 2008 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

A nicely related type, Fast Forward is the first foal of Sicilia, a half-sister to stakes-winner Yesterday and Donna Dior from another stakes-winner in Donna Cara.

Given that Arrowfield based Charge Forward is free of Northern Dancer, he makes a logical choice for breeders with Danehill or Danzig line mares and so far the mix is working for him with 11 of his 23 winners bred that way including his two best horses Headway and Solar Charged.

He has produced winners from daughters of Flying Spur, Danzero and Redoute’s Choice, who all stand at Arrowfield, as well as two from Danewin mares, so one can’t help but think he’s well placed to go forward if he covers more of these types of mares.

Yearling buyers are already keen on the notion of Charge Forward over mares with Danehill blood, his four top sellers at the yearling sales this year all bred that way and including full siblings to his star performers Headway and Solar Charged.

The stallions that will progress to the top of the sires list in the future will be the ones that can make best use of the myriad of Danzig line mares so All American as a son of Red Ransom (USA) is looming very large on the radar to fulfil that promise.

Tara Madgwick, Breedne