Dynasty, head and shoulders above the best of his generation at 3 and voted Horse of the Year, is the second Gr1 winning son of Fort Wood to enter stud, following Horse Chestnut. The latter has made his mark internationally with Gr1 & Gr2 winning offspring in his first two crops. Locally, amongst Fort Wood’s highest rated Gr1 winning performers three names stand out: Horse Chestnut, Dynasty and Fort Defiance. Interestingly, the dams of all three show remarkable similarities in their interaction with Fort Wood.

The role of broodmare sires in a pedigree is often underrated. In the case of Dynasty, the presence of his dam’s sire Commodore Blake appears to be a key one. Trained by Michael Stoute, Commodore Blake (TFR 123) is by English Derby winner Blakeney out of Ribamba, half sister to another English Classic winner, Bruni. Their dam Bombazine finished fourth in the Oaks. Bombazine is a daughter of Shantung, and here we get to the heart of the matter. Shantung also appears close up in the pedigree of Horse Chestnut’s damsire Col Pickering, as the sire of this one’s dam Julie Andrews. In fact, Bombazine and Julie Andrews are close genetic relatives, both by Shantung out of a mare by a son of Nasrullah.

Shantung (TFR 132) was sired by French Derby winner Sicambre and is out of the mare Barley Corn, by Hyperion out Schiaparelli. Barley Corn’s lasting influence also comes through her daughters, who are found in the bottomline pedigrees of sires Roi Dagobert, Sassafras, Oak Dancer, Djakao, Polar Falcon.

Barley Corn is closely inbred, 2x2 to a son and a daughter of Serenissima - they are Selene (dam of Hyperion) and Schiavoni (sire of Schiaparelli). When these elements are linked back to the pedigree of Fort Wood, they are readily received.

Fort Wood’s dam, champion broodmare Fall Aspen, is closely inbred. Imitation, the dam of her sire Pretense, and Khaled, the maternal grandsire of her dam Change Waters are genetic siblings, making for a snug 2x3 match in Fall Aspen. Imitation and Khaled are both by Hyperion. Better still, Khaled’s pedigree make-up makes him a genetic sibling to Barley Corn, and the same goes for Imitation.

Futher evidence of this genetic sibling link-up is provided by the dam of Fort Defiance, Lily of the Guard, whose dam is a daughter of Regent Street. The latter’s pedigree elements make him a genetic sibling to both Khaled and Imitation. And if there were any doubts left, there’s another of Fort Wood’s Gr1 winning sons Celtic Grove. His dam’s sire Welsh Saint is yet another Khaled genetic sibling.

Dynasty’s damsire Commodore Blake averaged a mere 15 foals per crop during his South African stud career, and evidence of his affinities is thin. Even so, his best two sons General Blake and Wellington fit the expected pattern. General Blake is out of a mare by Turnkey, whose grandsire Tudor Minstrel is a Barley Corn genetic sibling. Wellington’s grandam is by New South Wales, who with two lines of Hyperion and one of Nasrullah belongs in the Barley Corn genetic sibling camp as well. As a broodmare sire Commodore Blake has had (apart from Dynasty) the useful Casual Guy, whose dam is by Tudor Minstrel’s grandson Sweet Song.

And so all roads lead to Rome.

Still to consider is the not inconsiderable influence of Dynasty’s bottom female line. His grandam Joy Petite is by Joy II (three-parts brother to My Babu) out of Lavenda Lady, by Abernant. The latter is by Hyperion’s son Owen Tudor (sire also of Tudor Minstrel) out of a mare from Nasrullah’s female line. Abernant, not surprisingly, turns out to be a genetic sibling to Khaled and Imitation.

Dynasty’s grandam Joy Petite has more than that, however. Her sire Joy II and her dam Lavenda Lady have the same bottom female line. Joy II is out of Perfume, a daughter of Lavendula. The third dam of Lavenda Lady is Source Sucree, also a daughter of Lavendula.

Perfume is an important element in modern pedigrees, through her sons My Babu, Sayani and Joy. Source Sucree features prominently as the dam of influential stallion Turn To (sire of Hail to Reason, Sir Gaylord, Best Turn, First Landing), while her daughter Black Brook is not only the third dam of Joy Petite but also of highclass sire Irish River.

Finally, Lavendula is a grandaughter of influential mare Marchetta, which is of significance to those who want to delve deeper into pedigrees than space allows.

The latch-up of Khaled, Imitation, Barley Corn and Abernant has Hyperion (and his female line elements of Selene and Serenissima) as the driving force. Khaled especially may be of significance. He is represented in the pedigree of Dynasty’s sire Fort Wood through Swaps. The latter has a well documented affinity with the mare Flower Bowl (dam of Graustark, His Majesty). The pair are inbred 2x2 to Hyperion and genetic sibling Beau Pere.

In South Africa, Khaled and Imitation are found together (2x2) in the mare Mime, who is grandam of Badger Land. In Badger Land’s pedigree, Khaled was mated to Bastogne to produce Mime’s dam Avignon. Bastogne, interestingly, is by Djebel out of a mare by Badruddin - compare this to the pedigree of Joy II, who is by Djebe (a son of Djebel) out of a mare by Badruddin.

Dynasty and Badger Land mares might make interesting bed-mates indeed.

Swaps also pops up in the bottom female line of Rakeen. In addition, the latter’s dam is a daughter of Halo, by Hail to Reason (Turn To).

Then there is Secret Prospector, whose dam has Flower Bowl and Swaps 2x3. And Rocky Marriage, whose damsire Candy Spots is a 3-parts brother to Swaps (Khaled x Beau Pere).

Pretense and Barley Corn are not readily available in South African based mares, with French Stress (grandson of Pretense) a limited source.

Abernant, on the other hand, is widespread. In this context the pedigree of Golden Thatch (and full brothers Waterville Lake and Thatching) is of interest. The trio are by Thatch (Hyperion male line) out of a mare by Abernant. Thatch, in addition, is a full brother to the mare Special, found in Dynasty’s pedigree as the grandam of Sadler’s Wells. Moreover, Golden Thatch is inbred to the female line of Thatch and Special.

Tudor Minstrel, Regent Street and New South Wales are well represented in the South African mare population.

Tudor Minstrel is a nice one in the mare Mixed Marriage (third dam of Gone West, sire of Western Winter and West Man who has the Irish River connection) and in the mare Aimee (grandam of Blushing Groom, sire of Jallad). There are other lines, of course.

Regent Street is the damsire of Soho Secret and of Miss Lily, who both have a host of good daughters at stud. Soho Secret is the dam of London News.

New South Wales is mainly found in bottom female lines, and getting further back now.

he Lavendula double from Dynasty’s bottom female line leads to a variety of options. Turn To (already in Dynasty’s pedigree through Sadler’s Wells) has four sons to be noted:

Lavendula also appears in My Babu (wide-spread, damsire of Damascus among others) and Ambiorix (damsire of Impressive, in Western Winter; Impressive is a close genetic relative of Lavenda Lady).

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