PEDIGREE PROFILE -ROYAL AUSSIE

Sarah Whitelaw

Consistent two-year-old Royal Aussie made news last week when he became the first winner for his sire Royal Mo.

Runner up on his first two starts, Royal Aussie appeared to relish the step up to 1400m when he ran out a two and a quarter length winner at Kenilworth.

Winner of the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and a place getter in the G1 Santa Anita Derby, Royal Mo, whose first crop are two-year-olds, went close to enjoying an outstanding few days, with his sons Rule Of Thumb and Mo Jive both finishing second in their respective races last week.

Royal Mo’s outstanding sire Uncle Mo was himself in the news this past weekend when his son Mo Donegal claimed victory in Saturday’s G1 Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the US Triple Crown. In the process, Mo Donegal became his sire’s 11th G1 winner, and Uncle Mo’s second winner of a leg of the US Triple Crown, following Nyquist (2016 Kentucky Derby). Uncle Mo had gone close to enjoying further big race success over the weekend when his daughter Family Way ran second in the G1 New York Stakes.

Royal Aussie, a R300 000 buy from the 2021 CTS Ready To Run Sale, also hails from an outstanding female line.

His dam Abelia, an unraced daughter of G2 Todman Stakes winner Smart Missile (by Fastnet Rock), numbers short-lived G2 Pago Pago Stakes/G2 Sires’ Produce Stakes winning sire Time For War as a half-brother, and she hails from one of the best familes in the stud book.

Abelia’s dam Lady Zabelia is a three time winning daughter of Zabeel -and she hailed from the same female line as one of Zabeel’s greatest sons, Might And Power. Lady Zabelia’s third dam Benediction produced Might And Power -a dual Horse Of The Year in Australia and winner of all of the G1 Melbourne Cup, G1 Caulfield Cup and G1 Cox Plate.

Lady Zabelia’s granddam Miss Priority not only produced Hong Kong champion Lucky Owners, she also rates as the second dam of four time Australian G1 winner Mosheen -sired by Fastnet Rock, grandsire of Abelia.

Miss Priority, whose half-sister Bastet is dam of French 1000 Guineas winner Beauty Parlour (dam of G1 winner Blowout), is also inbred to the Bobsleigh mare All Moonshine -with her legendary grandsire Sir Tristram (also sire of Lady Zabelia’s sire Zabeel) sporting All Moonshine as his third dam, and All Moonshine herself also the fifth dam of Miss Priority.

All Moonshine, a daughter of outstanding racemare and producer Selene, was a half-sister to outstanding Derby winner and multiple champion sire Hyperion, as well as such breed shaping sires as Pharamond II and Sickle.

Selene also ranks as the ancestress of South African champion and successful sire What A Winter, dual Oaks winner Sariska, the South African based Dante Stakes winner Wings Of Desire, as well as 2021 Cartier Horse Of The Year St Mark’s Basilica.

Picture: Royal Aussie (Wayne Marks)