King’s Best is by Kingmambo, whose damsire is Nureyev. King’s Best is a half brother to the mare Urban Sea, dam of Galileo (by Sadler’s Wells) and Sea Of Stars (by Cape Cross whose dam is by Ahonoora). King’s Best major runners (listed above) are out of mares by Barathea (son of Sadler’s Wells), Sadler’s Wells, Old Vic (son of Sadler’s Wells), Salse (by Topsider, from Dalmary female line), In The Wings (son of Sadler’s Wells), Ahonoora (son of Lorenzaccio, from Dalmary female line).

Other sire names that feature in the best of King’s Best are from Blushing Groom (Rainbow Quest, Baillamont, Zayyani), and Mill Reef/Shirley Heights. The affinity of the latter combo with Sadler’s Wells is well documented. As for Blushing Groom, his grandam Aimee and Sadler’s Wells grandam Special have much in common.The dam of King’s Best comes from the female line of the mare Aster (and is inbred to her). Aster and Dalmary have a lot in common.

King’s Apostle is out of a daughter of Barathea, by Sadler’s Wells, and therefore doubles 3-part brothers Nureyev (from Kingmambo) and Sadler’s Wells. The Kingmambo x Sadler’s Wells combination is well known through El Condor Pasa, Henrythe-navigator, Divine Proportions, Virginia Waters. It is in essence a Dalmary-generated ‘nick’, where Dalmary interacts with close genetic relatives.

Suitable lines for King’s Apostle should include descendants of Dalmary. In the broad SA context these include Golden Thatch/Waterville Lake, Sadler’s Wells (Fort Wood/Horse Chestnut/Dynasty, Casey Tibbs, Doowaley, etc.), Nureyev (Caesour, Parade Leader, Var), Ahonoora (Malhub, Shalford). Also included should be Blushing Groom (Jallad, Spectrum, Saumarez, Kabool) and Mill Reef/Shirley Heights (Casey Tibbs, Indigo Magic)

The female line of King’s Apostle appears to show kin-breeding involving the mare Mixed Marriage & kin. Sire Gone West (Western Winter, Indigo Magic) belongs in this group, as does Court Martial (Lyphard, Elliodor). There are many others.Also of importance may be the mare Lost Soul (Royal Prerogative) and lines of sire Dante (Jallad, National Emblem). Both appear as apparently important kin-links in the bottom female line of King’s Apostle.

KING'S BEST (1997) by Kingmambo - Allegretta by Lombard.

King's Best threw me quite a bit as his dam Allegretta carries a Germanic influence with her best blood possibly the lines of ALCHIMIST and Aster. Aster and Alchimist descend from the mare Alveole. Allegretta carries ASTER's daughter Aralia (by ALCHIMIST) as dam of her grandsire and descends tail-female from Aster via her daughter Asterblute. Aster is linebred to Dark Ronald 3x3 and carries the mares Morganette (4x4) and Orsova (4x6). Morganette is dam of ARD PATRICK and Galtee More.

Allegretta's grandam Almyra is a close relation to Aralia (ALCHIMIST - ASTER), being by a son of ALCHIMIST out of Alameda, a grandaughter of ASTER. Almyra therefore has DARK RONALD 4x5x6x6; ARD PATRICK 5x5x5 and his half brother Galtee More in the 5th.

ALCHIMIST has a line of ATALANTA, 3/4 sister to ST SERF in ASTER. These lines of Alchimist, Ard Patrick and Aster etc are not common to linebreed to and the only stallion I know of that brought in a line of Almyra is Antic Boy (as his grandam).

However all is not lost. Allegretta's two best performers, King's Best and Urban Sea were both by sons of Mr Prospector. Perhaps that is a line to linebreed to. Their dam Allegretta carries 2 lines of Teddy, as does Mr Prospector. Teddy's damsire is BAY RONALD who is important further down this article.

Urban Sea (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe) produced Galileo (English and Irish Derby) while another stakes winning daughter Allez Les Trois produced Anabaa Blue (French Derby). Galileo brought in a line of NATIVE DANCER, 2 lines of HYPERION, 1 of NASRULLAH and a line of LA TROIENNE.

Anabaa Blue shows the magic of linebreeding to influential ancestors by holding a duplication of RIVERMAN and the half sisters Noble Lassie and Promised Lady, thereby duplicating BELLE SAUVAGE. Riverman holds 4 lines of TEDDY via 3 different sons and a daughter; Asterus, LA TROIENNE, Sir Gallahad III and Sun Teddy.

Allegretta also carries a line of Acropolis (Donatello II - Aurora), sire of her damsire Espresso. Espresso matches beautifully with Belle Sauvage, grandam of her sire Lombard.

Belle Sauvage is by BIG GAME (by BAHRAM) who is out of a daughter of DOLABELLA (WHITE EAGLE - GONDOLETTE by LOVED ONE ex PILGRIMAGE). Belle Sauvage's dam Tropical Sun is by HYPERION (ex SELENE by CHAUCER out of daughter of GONDOLETTE).

Espresso is by Acropolis, he a grandson of BLANDFORD out of Aurora by HYPERION out of Rose Red by SWYNFORD (sire of BLANDFORD). Espresso's dam Babylon is by BAHRAM.

DOLABELLA and BLANDFORD are closely linked. BLANDFORD is by SWYNFORD (ex CANTERBURY PILGRIM ex PILGRIMAGE) out of Blanche by WHITE EAGLE.

Here in the pedigree of Allegretta, we have the meshing of the lines of GONDOLETTE and CANTERBURY PILGRIM, two of the most influential matriarchs ever bred. Also highly prominent are the 5/8 brothers CHAUCER and SWYNFORD.

Star Way has the lines for King's Best and his number 9 Aveole female line. Star Way's sire Star Appeal has Alchimist by Herold (by Dark Ronald) out of Aversion; his 3/4 brother Aditi (Dark Ronald - Aversion); his genetic 3/4 brother Ariaman (Herold - Aditia ex Aversion). Star Way also has reinforcing lines of Swynford/Chaucer/Selene/Gay Crusader etc. Star Way's son Filante and daughter Shoal Creek (dam of Encosta De Lago) match beautifully.

As I mentioned earlier, Star Way notwithstanding, I had great difficulty matching up King's Best. Therefore I decided to try another tack, one that would have been preferable to have started with but perhaps my journey so far would not have eventuated.

I took the top ten sires on the Australian Sires list to January 2002 and matched them with King's Best. Two stood out. Danehill and Scenic.

The key here is Kingmambo, sire of King's Best. Kingmambo is by Mr Prospector (a grandson of NATIVE DANCER) out of Miesque by Nureyev (by NORTHERN DANCER) out of Pasadoble by Prove Out (by GRAUSTARK).

Danehill is of course by Danzig (by NORTHERN DANCER) out of Rayzana by HIS MAJESTY (Ribot - Flower Bowl) out of Spring Adieu (ex NATALMA). HIS MAJESTY is a full brother to GRAUSTARK while Spring Adieu is half sister to NORTHERN DANCER.

However, Scenic strikes me as the way to go. By Sadler's Wells (NORTHERN DANCER - Fairy Bridge ex SPECIAL) with a line of Nasrullah and one of Raise A Native. SADLER'S WELLS is 3/4 to NUREYEV. This gives a reverse sex cross of a son of Raise A Native over a daughter of Nureyev in Kingmambo and a son of Sadler's Wells over a daughter of Raise A Native in Scenic. SADLER'S WELLS has worked before, as above with Galileo.

Another line of influence in Scenic is Grey Flight, dam of What A Pleasure. Grey Flight is out of Planetoid, greater than half sister to Miyako, grandam of Native Dancer. Miyako is by John P. Grier, bred on the same cross as Miyako's damsire Sweep.

John P. Grier carries BEN BRUSH and DOMINO 3x3 while his grandam Curiosity is out of PINK DOMINO by DOMINO.Miyako's dam La Chica is by SWEEP (BEN BRUSH - PINK DOMINO)

Planetoid is by a Ariel, he a grandson of SWEEP out of a daughter of DOMINO's full sister Mannie Himyar. Of course, Planetoid is also out of La Chica.

Grey Flight's sire Mahmoud is by a son of BLANDFORD out of a daughter of GAINSBOROUGH. Blandford's 3rd dam is BLACK DUCHESS, she the dam of BAY RONALD, grandsire of Gainsborough and damsire of genetically similar TEDDY. Remember those lines of DARK RONALD carried via ALMYRA and ASTER in Allegretta's pedigree. DARK RONALD is by BAY RONALD.

Perhaps Grey Flight is a parallel with Mr Prospector, seemingly important in Allegretta's two best.

Scenic's daughter Piavonic won the G1 Manikato Stakes by 2 lengths over Sunline in August 2001. Her dam Piave Girl has reinforcing lines to her sire Scenic, the same lines prevailent in King's Best.

Notably, Star Kingdom is carried twice. He carries the 5/8 brothers CHAUCER/SWYNFORD 4x4 and Sunstar 4x4. Sunstar is out of Doris by LOVED ONE (ex PILGRIMAGE). Star Kingdom's 3rd dam is Virgin's Folly by SWYNFORD out of Widow Bird by WHITE EAGLE, the same cross as BLANDFORD. Further, Star Kingdom's 6th dam St Victorine is by ST SERF out of CANTERBURY PILGRIM.

There is a further line of HYPERION (grandsire of Star Kingdom) and two lines of BIG GAME. Piave Girl also has a half brother to Espresso in King Of Babylon (ex Babylon). Piavonic looks a nice match on paper for King's Best.