Undoubted one of South Africa’s best stallions of the last decade, Western Winter has so far collected three sire Championships and produced two Horses of the Year, Winter Solstice and Yard-Arm. The latter two are both geldings and didn’t make it to stud. But fear not, Western Winter does now have another Champion son to take up his cause.

In four starts at 2, Argonaut contested three Gr1 races, winning two and second in the other. That was better than his full brother Simply Salmon, who was unbeaten at 2 in 2 starts, but never made it to big races because of injury. At the time Simply Salmon was one of the highest rated 2yo’s ever on our files (in illustrious company of the likes of Private Reserve, Ruby Clipper, Roaring Sands, Blossoming Fields, Clifton King, etc). That his full brother Argonaut became a Champion was not really such a surprise. The pair have two notable half sisters in Gr1 Guineas winner Finest View and Gr1 runner-up (at 2) Oceana, as well as a Gr1 placed (at 2) half brother, Marine Sands. Their sires are Fine Edge, Elliodor and Goldkeeper. Let’s see what kin- links they have with the female line.

As is the case with Jet Master and Captain Al, the bottom female line of Argonaut is South African- bred going back many generations. The kin-breeding of the female line ancestors appears to hinge on the mare Madeira, who provides a link from Argonaut’s 6 dam right down to his 2nd dam Sea Diamond. The latter mare is a daughter of Abadan, whose grandam Araminta provides the kin-link.

Abadan appears to be important in the context of Western Winter. Abadan’s dam is kin to Impressive Lady (grandam of Western Winter) and is kin to Tamerett (grandam of Western Winter’s sire Gone West). Tamerett’s dam Mixed Marriage is kin to Abadan’s grandam Araminta and also links on to Araminta’s kin- link Madeira. It is interesting to note that Abadan also appears as the sire of the third dams of Horse of the Year Winter Solstice and of Warm White Night, and of the fourth dams of Fair Maiden and Winterinthewoods. In all these cases there were other kin-links involving Abadan’s female line.

The kin-line of Mixed Marriage also appears in Argonaut’s Gr1 winning half sister Finest View, by Fine Edge. The latter’s sire Sharpen Up is by Atan, a son of Mixed Marriage (Sharpen Up also is the damsire of Western Winter’s Gr1 winning daughter Bad Girl Runs).

Argonaut’s Gr1 placed half sister Oceana is by Elliodor, whose third dam Martial Loan is kin to Abadan’s dam Affair. As an aside, Martial Loan and Mixed Marriage are kin as well.

Abadan’s dam Affair & grandam Araminta have the kind of pedigree which closely resemble many others. For one, Affair is kin to another mare, Flame – fourth dam of Western Winter’s Gr1 winner Nania. Letting things run wild, Flame is grandam of Royal Chalice, who in turn is damsire of (say) Hunting Tower, a son of Fort Wood, whose key components Imitation and Khaled lead squarely back to Araminta, grandam of Abadan. All such relationships are important to remember. In the case of Argonaut, it gives firm suggestions as to what lines may suit him.

WHERE TO NEXT

It seems that duplicating Abadan is a sensible starting point for Argonaut. Lines that have worked well with Argonaut’s female line come into play: Fine Edge (and other Sharpen Up), Elliodor (leading to that one’s son Model Man). We found Flame, grandam of Royal Chalice, and through that one came onto Fort Wood.

Through Abadan’s dam & grandam we come to Argentina, who is kin to Mixed Marriage (among others). Argentina is dam of Averof , whose sons Foveros and Priceless Asset are prominent in highclass Western Winter offspring, notably Fearless, Fair Maiden, Warm White Night, Winterinthewoods (recall that three of those have Abadan as well). Averof himself is kin to Abadan’s dam Affair, and also to Mixed Marriage.

From Western Winter’s champion son Winter Solstice comes that one’s damsire Melun, whose third dam Melopee is kin to Abadan. The dam of Winter Solstice has the kin-pair 4x3. Melun won’t be easy to find in the current mare population, though.

Argonaut’s dam Aquasarto is kinbred 4x4 to Romanella (dam of Ribot) and Araminta (grandam of Abadan). Romanella is kin to Mixed Marriage as well, so Ribot may matter for Argonaut. Ribot is the sire of Graustark and His Majesty, which brings the likes of Caesour into the picture – his dam Don’t Sulk is kin to Del Sarto’s dam Queen Sucree. There will be more, as Graustark and His Majesty are widespread. Queen Sucree also is kin to the dam of Danehill, suggesting the latter will (in time) make for sensible matches with Argonaut.

FEMALE LINE BUILD-UP

(the term ‘kinbred’ is used to identify close genetic relatives; a benchmark percentage of about 90% is required to qualify; for each dam the kinbreeding percentage is shown as well)

6th dam
Machico (89%) (by Glanmerin 88%)
kinbred 2x1 Bridewain x Madeira 92%
5th dam Machico 6th dam

5th dam
Cailin Rua (89%) (by Sprig of Orange 91%)
kinbred 3x2x3x2 Gravity x Floridita x Bridewain x Madeira 90-92%

4th dam
Leonie (89%) (by Upper Cut 91%)
kinbred 2x3 Sunbridge x Machino 90% (3x3x3x3)
Sunbridge x Filette x Floridita x Madeira 90-93%

3rd dam
Roenie (84%) (by Knockroe 85%)
kinbred 3x3x4x4 Book Law x Miss Gallipoli x Sunbridge x Madeira 91-93%

2nd dam
Sea Diamond (84%) (by Abadan 83%)
kinbred 3x4 Araminta x Book Law x Miss Gallipoli x Sunbridge x Madeira 90-94%
kinbred 2x3(4) Affair x Canon Law (Book Law) 92%

1st dam
Aquasarto (77%) (by Western Winter 80%)
kinbred 3x4 Impressive Lady x Affair 89%
kinbred 4x4 Tamerett x Affair 91%
kinbred 5x5x5 Mixed Marriage x Romanella x
Araminta

Argonaut (79%) (by Western Winter 80%)
kinbred 3x4 Impressive Lady x Affair 89%
kinbred 4x4 Tamerett x Affair 91%
kinbred 5x5x5 Mixed Marriage x Romanella x Araminta

MATING SUGGESTIONS